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AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST 


OR, 


A  VOYAGE  AMONG  THE  TREE-TOPS. 


CAPTAIN    MAINE    REID, 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  DESERT  HOME,"  "THE  OCEAN  WAIFS,"  ETC. 


WITH    ILLUSTRATIONS. 


BOSTON: 

TICK  NOR     AND     FIELDS 

1  8C7. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1866,  by 

TICKNOR    AND    FIELDS, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  District  of  Massachusetts. 


University  Press:  Welch,  Bigelow,  &  Co., 
Cambridge. 


CONTENTS. 


■ 


Chaptkr  Pagb 

I.    The  Brothers  at  Home .  1 

II.    The  Brothers  Abroad 5 

III.  The  Galatea 9 

IV.  Drifting  with  the  Current 12 

V.    The  Galatea  Aground .-15 

VI.    The  Monkey-Pots .  19 

VII.    The  Gapo 22 

VIII.    The  Echente 25 

IX.    An  Impassable  Barrier .29 

X.    A  Tropical  Tornado 32 

XI.    The  Galatea  treed 37 

XII.    A  Dangerous  Ducking 39 

XIII.  A  Consultation  in  the  Tree-Top       ....  42 

XIV.  A  Fracas  heard  from  Afar 45 

XV.    The  Jararaca 47 

XVI.    Hold  On 51 

XVn.     The  Paroquet 54 

XVIII.    TnE  Lliana  unloosed 56 

XIX.    Serpent  Fa'scination      .        .     • 60 

XX.    The  Water  Arcade 63 

XXI.    The  Syringe-Tree .66 

XXII.     A  Battle  with  Birds 68 

XXIII.  A  Contest  with  Cudgels 71 

XXIV.  Chased  by  a  Jacare 74 

XXV.     A  Saurian  Digression 77 

XXVI.    Treed  by  an  Alligator 80 

XXVII.    An  Aqua-arboreal  Journky 82 

XXVIII.    A  Timely  Warning 84 

205'" 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


XXIX.  Improvised  Swimming-Belts 88 

XXX.  Alligator  Lore 90 

XXXI.  A  Ride  upon  a  Reptile        ......  95 

XXXII.  Taking  to  the  Water 98 

XXXIII.  A  Half-choked  Swimmer    .;....  100 

XXXIV.  A  Supper  on  Broiled  Squab 103 

XXXV.  Once  more  in  the    Water 106 

XXXVI.  The  Igarape        . 108 

XXXVII.  About  Humming-Birds 110 

XXX VIII.  A  Cul-de-Sac 113 

XXXIX.  The  Brazil-Nuts    .        .        .        ■        .        .        .        .110 

XL.  A  Travelling  Party  of  Guaribas         .        .        .  118 

XLI.  The  Monkey  Mother 122 

XLII.  The  Mundurucu  discourses  of  Monkeys     .        .  120 

XLIII.  Two  Slumberers  Ducked 130 

XLIV.  Open  Water 133 

XLV.  The  Jacanas 136 

XLVI.  A  Companion  left  Beiilnd 142 

XLVII.  The  Guide  abandoned 144 

XL VIII.  Round  and  Round 147 

XLIX.  Going  by  Guess 149 

L.  Guided  by  a  Shadow 153 

LI.  Around  the  Edge 154 

LII.  The  Massaranduba 156 

LIII.  A  Vegetable  Cow 159 

LIV.  A  Milk  Supper 161 

LV.  Only  a  Dead- Wood 163 

LVI.  The  Sterculiads       .......  167 

LVII.  Chased  by  Tocandeiras 169 

LVIII.  A  Log  that  would  n't  roll 171 

LIX.  Drowning  the  Tocandeiras 173 

LX.  The  Festival  of  the  Tocandeiras      .        .        .  176 

LXI.  Amazonian  Ants 178 

LXII.  The  Ants  still  excited          .'       .        .        .        .  183 

LXIII.  The  Tamandua:  The  Ant-Thrush    .        .        .        .185 

LXIV.  Ant-Eaters  —  Biped  and  Quadruped   .        .        .  189 

LXV.  The  Chase  of  the  Tamandua 191 


CONTENTS. 


LXVI.  Roast  Ant-Eater 193 

LXVII.  The  Juaroua. '.        .195 

LXVIII.  A  Fish-Cow  at  Pasture 196 

LXIX.  The  Pashuba  Spear 198 

LXX.  Curing  the  Fish-Cow 201 

LXXI.  A  Sail  of  Skin 206 

LXXII.  Becalmed 208 

LXXIII.  The  Piranhas* 212 

LXXIV.  A  Stowaway 215 

LXXV.  The  Spirit  of  the  Waters 218 

LXXVI.  An  Unexpected  Escape 221 

LXXVII.  History  of  the  Anaconda 223 

LXXVIII.  A  Snake  "Yarn" 226 

LXXIX.  St.  Patrick's  Performance 231 

LXXX.  Lights  Ahead 235 

LXXXI.  An  Aerial  Village 240 

LXXXII.  A  Slow  Retreat:  in  the  Arcade      .        .        .  243 

LXXXIII.  Following  the  Float 248 

LXXXIV.  A  Cannibal  captured 251 

LXXXV.  A  Day  spent  in  Shadow 258 

LXXXVI.  The  Cry  of  the  Jaguar 261 

LXXXVII.  The  Moon  put  out 265 

LXXXVI1I.  An  Hour  of  Suspense 267 

LXXXIX.  Scuttling  the  Canoes 270 

XC.  The  Log  left  Behind 274 

XCI.  The  Enemy  in  Sight 278 

XCII.  The  Chase 281 

XCIII.  Conclusion   .               286 


AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE    BROTHERS    AT    HOME. 

TWENTY  years  ago,  not  twenty  miles  from  the  Land's 
End,  there  lived  a  Cornish  gentleman  named  Trevan- 
nion.  Just  twenty  years  ago  he  died,  leaving  to  lament  him 
a  brace  of  noble  boys,  whose  mother  all  three  had  mourned, 
with  like  profound  sorrow,  but  a  short  while  before. 

"  Squire  "  Trevannion,  as  he  was  called,  died  in  his  own 
house,  where  his  ancestors  for  hundreds  of  years  before  him 
had  dispensed  hospitality.  None  of  them,  however,  had  en- 
tertained so  profusely  as  he ;  or  rather  improvidently,  it 
might  be  said,  since  in  less  than  three  months  after  his  death 
the  old  family  mansion,  with  the  broad  acres  appertaining  to 
it,  passed  into  the  hands  of  an  alien,  leaving  his  two  sons, 
Ralph  and  Richard,  landless,  houseless,  and  almost  power- 
less. One  thousand  pounds  apiece  was  all  that  remained  to 
them  out  of  the  wreck  of  the  patrimonial  estates.  It  was 
whispered  that  even  this  much  was  not  in  reality  theirs,  but 
had  been  given  to  them  by  the  very  respectable  solicitor  who 
had  managed  their  father's  affairs,  and  had  furthermore  man- 
aged to  succeed  him  in  the  ownership  of  a  property  worth  a 
rental  of  three  thousand  a  year. 

Any  one  knowing  the  conditions  under  which  the  young 
Trevannions  received  their  two  thousand  pounds  must  have 

1  A 


2  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

believed  it  to  be  a  gift,  siuce  it  was  handed  over  to  them 
by  the  family  solicitor  with  the  private  understanding  that 
they  were  to  use  it  in  pushing  their  fortunes  elsewhere,  — 
anywhere  except  in  Cornwall ! 

The  land-pirate  who  had  plucked  them  —  for  in  reality 
had  they  been  plucked  —  did  not  wish  them  to  stay  at  home, 
divested,  as  they  were,  of  their  valuable  plumage.  He  had 
appropriated  their  fine  feathers,  and  cared  not  for  the  naked 
bodies  of  the  birds. 

There  were  those  in  Cornwall  who  suspected  foul  play 
in  the  lawyer's  dealings  with  the  young  Trevannions,  *— 
among  others,  the  victims  themselves.  But  what  could  they, 
do?  They  were  utterly  ignorant  of  their  late  father's  af- 
fairs,—  indeed,  with  any  affairs  that  did  not  partake  of  the 
nature  of  "  sports."  A  solicitor  "  most  respectable,"  —  a 
phrase  that  has  become  almost  synonymous  with  rascality,  — 
a  regular  church-goer,  —  accounts  kept  with  scrupulous  ex- 
actness, —  a  man  of  honest  face,  distinguished  for  probity 
of  speech  and  integrity  of  heart,  —  what  could  the  Trevan- 
nions do  ?  What  more  than  the  Smiths  and  the  Browns  and 
the  Joneses,  who,  notwithstanding  their  presumed  greater 
skill  in  the  ways  of  a  wicked  lawyer  world,  are  duped  every 
day  in  a  similar  manner.     It  is  an  old  and  oft-repeated  story, 

—  a  tale  too  often  told,  and  too  often  true,  —  that  of  the 
family  lawyer  and  his  confiding  client,  standing  in  the  re- 
lationship of  robber  and  robbed. 

The  two  children  of  Squire  Trevannion  could  do  nothing 
to  save  or  recover  their  paternal  estate.  Caught  in  the  net 
of  legal  chicanery,  they  were  forced  to  yield,  as  other  squires' 
children  have  had  to  do,  and  make  the  best  of  a  bad  matter, 

—  forced  to  depart  from  a  home  that  had  been  held  by 
Trevannions  perhaps  since  the  Phoenicians  strayed  thither- 
ward in  search  of  their  shining  tin.  " 

It  sore  grieved  them  to  separate  from  the  scenes  of  their 
youth ;   but  the  secret  understanding  with  the  solicitor  re- 


THE  BROTHERS  AT   HOME.  3 

quired  that  sacrifice.  By  staying  at  home  a  still  greater 
might  be  called  for,  —  subsistence  in  penury,  and,  worse  than 
all,  in  a  humiliating  position ;  for,  notwithstanding  the  open 
house  long  kept  by  their  father,  his  friends  had  disappeared 
with  his  guests.  Impelled  by  these  thoughts,  the  brothers 
resolved  to  go  forth  into  the  wide  world,  and  seek  fortune 
wherever  it  seemed  most  likely  they  should  find  it. 

They  were  at  this  period  something  more  than  mere  chil- 
dren. Ralph,  had  reached  within  twelve  months  of  being 
twenty.  Richard  was  his  junior  by  a  couple  of  years.  Their 
book-education  had  been  good ;  the  practice  of  manly  sports 
had  imparted  to  both  of  them  a  physical  strength  that  fitted 
them  for  toil,  either  of  the  mind  or  body.  They  were  equal 
to  a  tough  struggle,  either  in  the  intellectual  or  material 
world  ;  and  to  this  they  determined  to  resign  themselves. 

For  a  time  they  debated  between  themselves  where  they 
should  go,  and  what  do.  The  army  and  navy  came  under 
their  consideration.  With  such  patronage  as  their  father's 
former  friends  could  command,  and  might  still  exert  in  favor 
of  their  fallen  fortunes,  a  commission  in  either  army  or  navy 
was  not  above  their  ambition.  But  neither  felt  much  in- 
clined towards  a  naval  or  military  life  ;  the  truth  being,  that 
a  thought  had  taken  shape  in  their  minds  leading  them  to 
a  different  determination. 

Their  deliberations  ended  by  each  of  them  proclaiming 
a  resolve,  —  almost  sealing  it  with  a  vow, —  that  they  would 
enter  into-  some  more  profitable,  though  perhaps  less  pre- 
tentious, employment  than  that  of  either  soldiering  or  sai- 
loring ;  that  they  would  toil  —  with  their  hands,  if  need  bo 
—  until  they  should  accumulate  a  sufficient  sum  to  return 
and  recover  the  ancestral  estate  from  the  grasp  of  the  ava- 
ricious usurper.  They  did  not  know  how  it  was  to  be 
done ;  but,  young,  strong,  and  hopeful,  they  believed  it 
might  be  done, —  with  time,  patience,  and  industry  to  aid 
them  in  the  execution. 


4  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

"  Where  shall  we  go  ?  "  inquired  Richard,  the  younger  of 
the  two.  "  To  America,  where  every  poor  man  appears  to 
prosper  ?  With  a  thousand  each  to  begin  the  world  with, 
we  might  do  well  there.     What  say  you,  Ralph  ?  " 

"America  is  a  country  where  men  seem  to  thrive  best 
who  have  nothing  to  begin  the  world  with.  You  mean 
North  America,  —  the  United  States,  —  I  suppose  ?  " 

"  I  do." 

"  I  don't  much  like  the  United  States  as  a  home,  —  not 
because  it  is  a  republic,  for  I  believe  that  is  the  only  just 
form  of  government,  whatever  our  aristocratic  friends  may 
say.  I  object  to  it  simply  because  I  wish  to  go  south,  — 
to  some  part  of  the  tropical  world,  where  one  may  equally 
be  in  the  way  of  acquiring  a  fortune." 

"  Is  there  such  a  place  ?  " 

"  There  is." 

"Where,  brother?" 

"  Peru.  Anywhere  along  the  Sierra  of  the  Andes  from 
Chili  to  the  Isthmus  of  Panama.  As  Cornish  men  we  should 
adopt  the  specialty  of  our  province,  and  become  miners.  The 
Andes  mountains  will  give  us  that  opportunity,  where,  in- 
stead of  gray  tin,  we  may  delve  for  yellow  gold.  What  say 
you  to  South  America?" 

"I  like  the  thought  of  South  America,  —  nothing  would 
please  me  better  than  going  there.  But  I  must  confess, 
brother,  I  have  no  inclination  for  the  occupation  you  speak 
of.     I  had  rather  be  a  merchant  than  a  miner."     .. 

"  Don't  let  that  pe?ickant  prevent  you  from  selecting  Peru 
as  the  scene  of  mercantile  transactions.  There  are  many 
Englishmen  who  have  made  fortunes  in  the  Peruvian  trade. 
You  may  hope  to  follow  their  example.  We  may  choose  dif- 
ferent occupations  and  still  be  near  each  other.  One  thou- 
sand pounds  each  may  give  both  of  us  a  start,  —  you  as  a 
'  merchant  of  goods,  I  as  a  digger  for  gold.  Peru  is  the  place 
for  either  business.  Decide,  Dick!  Shall  we  sail  for  the 
ecenea  rendered  celebrated  by  Pizarro  ?  " 


THE   BROTHERS  ABROAD.  5 

"  If  you  will  it  —  I  'm  agreed." 

"  Thither  then  let  us  go." 

In  a  month  from  that  time  the  two  Trevannions  might 
have  been  seen  upon  a  ship,  steering  westward  from  the 
Land's  End,  and  six  months  later  both  disembarked  upon 
the  beach  of  Callao,  —  en  route  first  for  Lima,  thence  up  the 
mountains,  to  the  sterile  snow-crested  mountains,  that  tower 
above  the  treasures  of  Cerro  Pasco,  —  vainly  guarded  within 
the  bosom  of  adamantine  rocks. 


CHAPTER    II. 


THE    BROTHERS    ABROAD. 


THIS  book  is  not  intended  as  a  history  of  the  brothers 
Ralph  and  Richard  Trevannion.  If  it  were  so,  a  gap  of 
some  fifteen  years  —  after  the  date  of  their  arrival  at  Cerro 
Pasco  —  would  have  to  be  filled  up.  I  decline  to  speak  of 
this  interval  of  their  lives,  simply  because  the  details  might 
not  have  any  remarkable  interest  for  those  before  whom  they 
would  be  laid. 

Suffice  it  to  say,  that  Richard,  the  younger,  soon  became 
wearied  of  a  miner's  life ;  and,  parting  with  his  brother,  he 
crossed  the  Cordilleras,  and  descended  into  the  great  Amazo- 
nian forest,  —  the  "  montana,"  as  it  is  called  by  the  Spanish 
inhabitants  of  the  Andes.  Thence,  in  company  with  a  party 
of  Portuguese  traders,  he  kept  on  down  the  river  Amazon, 
trading  along  its  banks,  and  upon  some  of  its  tributary 
streams  ;  and  finally  established  himself  as  a  merchant  at  its 
mouth,  in  the  thriving  "  city  "  of  Gran  Para. 

Richard  was  not  unsocial  in  his  habits  ;  and  soon  became 
the  husband  of  a  fair-haired  wife,  —  the  daughter  of  a  coun- 


6  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

tryman  who,  like  himself,  had  established  commercial  rela- 
tions at  Para.  In  a  few  years  after,  several  sweet  children 
called  him  "father,"  —  only  two  of  whom  survived  to  prattle 
in  his  cars  this  endearing  appellation,  alas !  no  longer  to  be 
pronounced  in  the  presence  of  their  mother. 

Fifteen  years  after  leaving  the  Land's  End,  Richard  Tre- 
vannion,  still  under  thirty-five  years  of  age,  was  a  widower, 
with  two  children,  —  respected  wherever  known,  prosperous 
in  pecuniary  affairs,  —  rich  enough  to  return  home,  and 
spend  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  that  state  so  much  de- 
sired by  the  Sybarite  Roman  poet, — "otium  cum  digni- 
tate." 

Did  he  remember  the  vow  mutually  made  between  him 
and  his  brother,  that,  having  enough  money,  they  would  one 
day  go  back  to  Cornwall,  and  recover  the  ancestral  estate? 
He  did  remember  it.  He  longed  to  accomplish  this  design. 
He  only  awaited  his  brother's  answer  to  a  communication  he 
had  made  to  him  on  this  very  subject. 

He  had  no  doubt  that  Ralph's  desire  would  be  in  unison 
with  his  own,  —  that  his  brother  would  soon  join  him,  and 
then  both  would  return  to  their  native  land,  —  perhaps  to 
dwell  again  under  the  same  roof  that  had  sheltered  them  as 
children. 

The  history  of  the  elder  brother  during  this  period  of  fif- 
teen years,  if  less  eventful,  was  not  less  distinguished  by  suc- 
cess. By  steadily  following  the  pursuit  which  had  first  at- 
tracted him  to  Peru,  he  succeeded  in  becoming  a  man  of 
considerable  means,  —  independent,  if  not  wealthy. 

Like  his  brother,  he  got  married  at  an  early  period,  —  in 
fact,  within  the  first  year  after  establishing  himself  in  Cerro 
Pasco.  Unlike  the  latter,  however,  he  chose  for  his  wife  one 
of  the  women  of  the  country,  —  a  beautiful  Peruvian  lady. 
She  too,  but  a  short  while  before,  had  gone  to  a  better  world, 
leaving  motherless  two  pretty  children,  of  twelve  and  four- 
teen years  of  age,  —  the  elder  of  the  two  being  a  daughter. 


THE   BROTHERS   ABROAD.  7 

Such  was  the  family  of  Ralph  Trevannion,  and  such  the 
condition  of  life  in  which  his  brother's  epistle  reached  him, — 
that  epistle  containing  the  proposal  that  they  should  wind  up 
their  respective  businesses,  dispose  of  both,  and  carry  their 
gains  to  the  land  that  had  given  them  birth. 

The  proposition  was  at  once  accepted,  as  Richard  knew  it 
would  be.  It  was  far  from  the  first  time  that  the  thing  had 
been  discussed,  epistolary  fashion,  between  them ;  for  letters 
were  exchanged  as  often  as  opportunity  permitted,  —  some- 
times twice  or  thrice  in  the  year. 

In  these  letters,  during  the  last  few  years  of  their  sojourn 
in  South  America,  the  promise  made  on  leaving  home  was 
mutually  mentioned,  and  as  often  renewed  on  either  side. 
Richard  knew  that  his  brother  was  as  eager  as  himself  Jto 
keep  that  well-remembered  vow. 

So  long  as  the  mother  of  Ralph's  children  was  alive,  he 
had  not  urged  his  brother  to  its  fulfilment ;  but  now  that  she 
had  been  dead  for  more  than  a  year,  he  had  written  to  say 
that  the  time  had  come  for  their  return  to  their  country  and 
their  home. 

His  proposal  was,  that  Ralph,  having  settled  his  affairs  in 
Peru,  —  which,  of  course,  included  the  selling  out  of  his 
share  in  the  mines,  —  should  join  him,  Richard,  at  Pard, 
thence  to  take  ship  for  England.  That  instead  of  going 
round  by  Cape  Horn,  or  across  the  Isthmus,  by  Panama, 
Ralph  should  make  the  descent  of  the  great  Amazon  River, 
which  traverse  would  carry  him  latitudinally  across  the  con- 
tinent from  west  to  east. 

Richard  had  two  reasons  for  recommending  this  route. 
First,  because  he  wished  his  brother  to  see  the  great  river 
of  Orellana,  as  he  himself  had  done ;  and  secondly,  because 
he  was  still  more  desirous  that  his  own  son  should  see  it. 

How  this  last  wish  was  to  be  gratified  by  his  brother 
making  the  descent  of  the  Amazon,  may  require  explana- 
tion ;   but  it  will   suffice   to  say  that   the  son  of  Richard 


8  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

Trevannion  was  at  that  time  residing  with  his  uncle  at  the 
mines  of  Cerro  Pasco. 

The  boy  had  gone  to  Peru  the  year  before,  in  one  of  his 
father's  ships,  —  first,  to  see  the  Great  Ocean,  then  the  Great 
Andes,  —  afterwards  to  become  acquainted  with  the  country 
of  the  Incas,  and  last,  though  -not  of  least  importance,  to 
make  the  acquaintance  of  his  own  uncle  and  his  two  inter- 
esting cousins,  the  elder  of  whom  was  exactly  his  own  age. 
He  had  gone  to  the  Pacific  side  by  sea.  It  was  his  father's 
wish  he  should  return  to  the  Atlantic  side  by  land,  —  or, 
to  speak  more  accurately,  by  river. 

The  merchant's  wish  was  to  be  gratified.  The  miner  had 
no  desire  to  refuse  compliance  with  his  proposal.  On  the 
contrary,  it  chimed  in  with  his  own  inclinations.  Ralph 
Trevannion  possessed  a  spirit  adventurous  as  his  brother's, 
which  fourteen  years  of  mining  industry,  carried  on  in  the 
cold  mountains  of  Cerro  Pasco,  had  neither  deadened  nor 
chilled.  The  thought  of  once  more  returning  to  the  scenes 
of  his  youth  quite  rejuvenated  him;  and  on  the  day  of  re- 
ceiving his  brother's  challenge  to  go,  he  not  only  accepted 
it,  but  commenced  proceedings  towards  carrying  the  design 
into  execution. 

A  month  afterwards  and  he  might  have  been  seen  de- 
scending the  eastern  slope  of  the  Cordilleras  on  mule-back, 
and  accompanied  by  his  family  and  followers ;  afterwards 
aboard  a  balsa,  —  one  of  those  curious  crafts  used  in  the  de- 
scent of  the  Huallaga ;  and  later  still  on  the  montaria,  upon 
the  bosom  of  the  great  river  itself. 

With  the  details  of  his  mountain  travels,  interesting  as 
they  may  be,  we  have  naught  to  do.  No  more  with  his 
descent  of  the  Huallaga,  nor  his  long  voyage  on  the  Amazon 
itself,  in  that  up-river  portion  of  the  stream  where  it  is 
called  the  "  Maranon."  Only  where  it  becomes  the  stu- 
pendous "  Solimoes "  do  we  join  Ralph  Trevannion  on  his 
journey,  and  remain  with  him  as  long  as  he  is  "  Afloat 
in  the  Forest,"  or  making  a  voyage  among  the  tree-tops. 


THE   GALATEA. 


CHAPTER  III. 


THE    GALATEA. 


ON  an  evening  in  the  early  part  of  December,  a  craft 
of  singular  construction  might  have  been  seen  descend- 
ing the  Solimoes,  and  apparently  making  for  the  little  Por- 
tuguese port  of  Coary,  that  lies  on  the  southern  side  of  the 
river. 

When  we  say  of  singular  construction,  we  mean  singular 
to  one  unaccustomed  to  the  navigation  of  Amazonian  waters. 
There  the  craft  in  question  was  too  common  to  excite  curi- 
osity, since  it  was  nothing  more  than  a  galatea,  or  large 
canoe,  furnished  with  mast  and  sail,  with  a  palm-thatched 
cabin,  or  toldo,  rising  over  the  quarter,  a  low-decked  locker 
running  from  bow  to  midships,  —  along  each  side  of  which 
were  to  be  seen,  half  seated,  half  standing,  some  half-dozen 
dark-skinned  men,  each  plying,  instead  of  an  oar,  a  paddle- 
blade. 

Perhaps  the  most  singular  sight  on  board  this  embarkation 
was  the  group  of  animated  beings  who  composed  its  crew 
and  passengers.  The  former,  as  already  stated,  were  dark- 
skinned  men  scantily  clad,  —  in  fact,  almost  naked,  since  a 
single  pair  of  white  cotton  drawers  constituted  the  complete 
costume  of  eacb. 

For  passengers  there  were  three  men,  and  a  like  number 
of  individuals  of  younger  age.  Two  of  the  men  were  white, 
apparently  Europeans ;  the  other  was  as  black  as  soot  could 
have  made  him,  —  unquestionably  an  African  negro.  Of  the 
young  people  two  were  boys,  not  much  differing  in  size,  and 
apparently  not  much  in  age,  while  the  third  was  a  half- 
grown  girl,  of  dark  complexion^  raven-colored  hair,  and  beau- 
tiful features. 

One  of  the  white  men  appeared  to  be,  and  was,  the  pro- 
l* 


10  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

prietor  of  the  montaria,  and  the  employer  of  its  swarthy  crew. 
He  was  Ralph  Trevannion. 

The  young  girl  was  his  daughter,  and  hore  her  Peruvian 
mother's  name,  Rosa,  more  often  pronounced  by  its  dimipu- 
tive  of  endearment,  Rosita.  The  younger  of  the  two  boys  — 
also  of  dark  complexion  —  was  his  son  Ralph ;  while  the 
older,  of  true  Saxon  physiognomy  and  hue,  was  the  son  of 
his  brother,  also  bearing  his  father's  Christian  name,  Rich- 
ard. 

The  second  white  man  was  unmistakably  of  European 
race,  —  so  much  so  that  any  one  possessing  the  slightest 
knowledge  of  the  Hibernian  type  would  at  once  have  pro- 
nounced him  a  "  Son  of  the  Sod."  A  pure  pug  nose,  a  shock 
of  curled  hair  of  the  clearest  carrot  color,  an  eternal  twinkle 
in  the  eye,  a  volume  of  fun  lying  open  at  each  angle  of  the 
mouth,  were  all  characteristics  by  which  "  Tipperary  Tom " 
—  for  such  was  his  sobriquet  —  might  be  remembered. 

About  the  negro  there  was  nothing  special,  more  than 
that  he  was  a  pure  negro,  with  enormously  thick  lips,  flat- 
tened nose,  long  protruding  heels,  teeth  white  as  hippopota- 
mus ivory,  and  almost  always  set  in  a  good-humored  grin. 
The  darkey  had  been  a  sailor,  or  rather  ship-steward,  before 
landing  in  Peru.  Thither  had  he  strayed,  and  settled  at  Cerro 
Pasco  after  several  years  spent  aboard  ship.  He  was  a  na- 
tive of  Mozambique,  on  the  eastern  coast  of  Africa,  to  which 
circumstance  was  he  indebted  for  the  only  name  ever  given 
him,  —  Mozey. 

Both  he  and  the  Irishman  were  the  servants  of  the  miner, 
or  rather  his  retainers,  who  served  him  in  various  ways,  and 
had  done  so  almost  ever  since  his  establishing  himself  among 
the  rocks  of  Cerro  Pasco. 

The  other  creatures  of  the  animated  kingdom  that  found 
lodgment  upon  the  craft  were  of  various  shapes,  sizes,  and 
species.  There  were  quadrupeds,  quadrumana,  and  birds,  — 
beasts  of  the  field,  monkeys  of  the  forest,  and  birds  of  the  air, 


THE    GALATEA.  11 

—  clustering  upon  the  cabin  top,  squatted  in  the  hold,  perched 
upon  the  gangway,  the  toldo,  the  yard,  and  the  mast, —  form- 
ing an  epitomized  menagerie,  such  as  ma^  be  seen  on  every 
kind  of  craft  that  navigates  the  mighty  Amazon. 

It  is  not  our  design  to  give  any  description  of  the  galatea's 
ci'ew.  There  were  nine  of  them,  —  all  Indians,  —  four  on 
each  side  acting  as  rowers,  or  more  properly  "  paddlers,"  the 
ninth  being  the  pilot  or  steersman,  standing  abaft  the  toldo. 

Our  reason  for  not  describing  them  is  that  they  were  a 
changing  crew,  only  attached  to  the  craft  for  a  particular 
stage  of  the  long  river  voyage,  and  had  succeeded  several 
other  similar  sets  since  the  embarkation  of  our  voyagers 
on  the  waters  of  the  upper  Amazon.  They  had  joined  the 
galatea  at  the  port  of  Ega,  and  would  take  leave  of  her  at 
Coary,  where  a  fresh  crew  of  civilized  Indians  —  "  tapuyos  " 

—  would  be  required. 

And  they  were  required,  but  not  obtained.  On  the  galatea 
putting  into  the  port  of  Coary,  it  was  found  that  nearly  every 
man  in  the  place  was  off  upon  a  hunting  excursion,  —  turtle 
and  cowfish  being  the  game  that  had  called  them  out.  Not 
a  canoe-man  could  be  had  for  love  or  money. 

The  owner  of  the  galatea  endeavored  to  tempt  the  Ega 
crew  to  continue  another  stage.  It  was  contrary  to  their 
habit,  and  they  refused  to  go.  Persuasion  and  threats  were 
tried  in  vain.  Coaxing  and  scolding  proved  equally  unavail- 
able ;  all  except  one  remained  firm  in  their  refusal,  the  ex- 
ception being  an  old  Indian  who  did  not  belong  to  the  Ega 
tribe,  and  who  could  not  resist  the  large  bribe  offered  by 
Trevannion. 

The  voyagers  must  either  suspend  their  journey  till  the 
Coary  turtle-hunters  should  return,  or  proceed  without  pad- 
dlers. The  hunters  were  not  expected  for  a  month.  To 
stay  a  month  at  Coary  was  out  of  the  question.  The  galatea 
must  go  on  manned  by  her  own  people,  and  the  old  Indian 
who  was  to  a^t  as  pilot.     Such  was  the  determination  of 


12  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

Ralph  Trevannion.  But  for  that  resolve,  —  rash  as  it  was, 
and  ending  unfortunately  for  him  who  made  it,  —  we  should 
have  no  story  to  teih 


CHAPTER    IV. 

DRIFTING   WITH   THE    CURRENT. 

THE  craft  that  carried  the  ex-miner,  his  family  and  fol- 
lowing, once  more  floated  on  the  broad  bosom  of  the 
Solimoes.  Not  so  swift  as  before,  since,  instead  of  eight  pad- 
dlers,  it  was  now  impelled  by  only  half  the  number,  —  these, 
too,  with  less  than  half  the  experience  of  the  crew  who  had 
preceded  them. 

The  owner  himself  acted  as  steersman,  while  the  paddles 
were  plied  by  "  Tipperary  Tom,"  Mozey,  the  old  Indian, — 
who,  being  of  the  Mundurucu  tribe,  passed  by  the  name  of 
"  Munday,"  —  and  Richard  Trevannion. 

The  last,  though  by  far  the  youngest,  was  perhaps  the  best 
paddler  in  the  party.  Brought  up  in  his  native  place  of 
Gran  Para,  he  had  been  accustomed  to  spend  half  his  time 
either  in  or  upon  the  water ;  and  an  oar  or  paddle  was  to 
him  no  novelty. 

Young  Ralph,  on  the  contrary,  a  true  mountaineer,  knew 
nothing  of  either,  and  therefore  counted  for  nothing  among 
the  crew  of  the  galatea.  To  him  and  the  little  Rosa  was 
assigned  the  keeping  of  the  pets,  with  such  other  light  duties 
as  they  were  capable  of  performing. 

For  the  first  day  the  voyage  was  uninterrupted  by  any 
incident,  —  at  least  any  that  might  be  called  unpleasant. 
Their  slow  progress,  it  is  true,  was  a  cause  of  dissatisfaction ; 
but  so  long  as  they  were  going  at  all,  and  going  in  the  right 


DRIFTING  WITH  THE  CURRENT.  13 

direction,  this  might  be  borne  with  equanimity.  Three  miles 
an  hour  was  about  their  average  rate  of  speed ;  for  half  of 
which  they  were  indebted  to  the  current  of  the  river,  and  for 
the  other  half  to  the  impulsion  of  their  paddles. 

Considering  that  they  had  still  a  thousand  miles  to  go  be- 
fore reaching  Gran  Para,  the  prospect  of  a  protracted  voyage 
was  very  plainly  outlined  before  them. 

Could  they  have  calculated  on  making  three  miles  an  hour 
for  every  hour  of  the  twenty-four,  things  would  not  have  been 
bad.  This  rate  of  speed  would  have  carried  them  to  their 
destination  in  a  dozen  days,  —  a  mere  bagatelle.  But  they 
knew  enough  of  river-navigation  to  disregard  such  data. 
They  knew  the  current  of  the  Solimoes  to  be  extremely 
slow ;  they  had  heard  of  the  strange  phenomenon,  that,  run 
which  way  the  river  might,  north,  south,  east,  or  west,  —  and 
it  does  keep  bending  and  curving  in  all  these  directions, — 
the  wind  is  almost  always  met  with  blowing  up  stream! 

For  this  reason  they  could  put  no  dependence  in  their  sail, 
and  would  have  to  trust  altogether  to  the  paddles.  These 
could  not  be  always  in  the  water.  Human  strength  could 
not  stand  a  perpetual  spell,  even  at  paddles ;  and  less  so  in 
the  hands  of  a  crew  of  men  so  little  used  to  them. 

Nor  could  they  continue  the  voyage  at  night.  By  doing 
so,  they  would  be  in  danger  of  losing  their  course,  their  craft, 
and  themselves ! 

You  may  smile  at  the  idea.  You  will  ask  —  a  little  scorn- 
fully, perhaps  —  how  a  canoe,  or  any  other  craft,  drifting 
down  a  deep  river  to  its  destination,  could  possibly  go  astray. 
Does  not  the  current  point  out  the  path,  —  the  broad  water- 
way not  to  be  mistaken  ? 

So  it  might  appear  to  one  seated  in  a  skiff,  and  floating 
down  the  tranquil  Thames,  with  its  well-defined  banks.  But 
far  different  is  the  aspect  of  the  stupendous  Solinaoes  to  the 
voyager  gliding  through  its  Gapo. 

I  have  made  use  of  a  word  of  strange  sound,  and  still 


14  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

stranger  signification.  Perhaps  it  is  new  to  your  eye,  as 
your  ear.  You  will*  become  better  acquainted  with  it  before 
the  end  of  our  voyage;  for  into  the  "  Gapo"  it  is  my  inten- 
tion to  take  you,  where  ill-luck  carried  the  galatea  and  her 
crew. 

On  leaving  Coary,  it  was  not  the  design  of  her  owner  to 
attempt  taking  his  craft,  so  indifferently  manned,  all  the  way 
to  Par&.  He  knew  there  were  several  civilized  settlements 
between,  —  as  Barra  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rio  Negro,  Obidos 
below  it,  Santarem,  and  others.  At  one  or  other  of  these 
places  he  expected  to  obtain  a  supply  of  tapuyos,  to  replace 
the  crew  who  had  so  provokingly  forsaken  him. 

The  voyage  to  the  nearest  of  them,  however,  would  take 
several  days,  at  the  rate  of  speed  the  galatea  was  now  mak- 
ing ;  and  the  thought  of  being  delayed  on  their  route  became 
each  hour  more  irksome.  The  ex-miner,  who  had  not  seen 
his  beloved  brother  during  half  a  score  of  years,  was  impa- 
tient once  more  to  embrace  him.  He  had  been,  already,  sev- 
eral months  travelling  towards  him  by  land  and  water ;  and 
just  as  he  was  beginning  to  believe  that  the  most  difficult 
half  of  the  journey  had  been  accomplished,  he  found  himself 
delayed  by  an  obstruction  vexatious  as  unexpected. 

The  first  night  after  his  departure  from  Coary,  he  consent- 
ed that  the  galatea  should  lie  to,  —  moored  to  some  bushes 
that  grew  upon  the  banks  of  the  river. 

On  the  second  night,  however,  he  acted  with  less  prudence. 
His  impatience  to  make  way  prompted  him  to  the  resolution 
to  keep  on.  The  night  was  clear,  —  a  full  moon  shining  con- 
spicuously above,  which  is  not  always  the  case  in  the  skies 
of  the  Solimoes. 

There  was  to  be  no  sail  set,  no  use  made  of  the  paddles. 
The  crew  were  fatigued,  and  wanted  rest  and  repose.  The 
current  alone  was  to  favor  their  progress ;  and  as  it  appeared 
to  be  running  nearly  two  miles  an  hour,  it  should  advance 
them  between  twenty  and  thirty  miles  before  the  morning. 


THE   GALATEA  AGROUND.  15 

The  Mundurucu  made  an  attempt  to  dissuade  his  "patron" 
from  the  course  he  designed  pursuing;  but  his  advice  was 
disregarded,  —  perhaps  because  ill-understood, —  and  the  gal- 
atea  glided  on. 

Who  could  mistake  that  broad  expanse  of  water  —  upon 
which  the  moon  shone  so  clearly  —  for  aught  else  than  the 
true  channel  of  the  Solimoes  ?  Not  Tipperary  Tom,  who,  in 
the  second  watch  of  the  night,  —  the  owner  himself  having 
kept  the  first,  —  acted  as  steersman  of  the  galatea. 

The  others  had  gone  to  sleep.  Trevannion  and  the  three 
young  people  under  the  toldo ;  Mozey  and  the  Mundurucu 
along  the  staging  known  as  the  "  hold."  The  birds  and  mon- 
keys were  at  rest  on  their  respective  perches,  and  in  their 
respective  cages,  —  all  was  silent  in  the  galatea,  and  around, 
—  all  save  the  rippling  of  the  water,  as  it  parted  tc  the  cleav- 
ing of  her  keel. 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE    GALATEA    AGROUND. 

LITTLE  experienced  as  he  was  in  the  art  of  navigation, 
the  steersman  was  not  inattentive  to  his  duty.  Pre- 
viously to  his  taking  the  rudder,  he  had  been  admonished 
about  the  importance  of  keeping  the  craft  in  the  channel  of 
the  stream,  and  to  this  had  he  been  giving  his  attention. 

It  so  chanced,  however,  that  he  had  arrived  at  a  place 
where  there  were  two  channels,  —  as  if  an  island  was  inter- 
posed in  the  middle  of  the  river,  causing  it  to  branch  at  an 
acute  angle.  Which  of  these  was  the  right  one?  Which 
should  be  taken  ?  These  were  the  questions  that  occurred  to 
Tipperary  Tom. 


16  AFLOAT   IN  TIIE   FOREST. 

At  first  lie  thought  of  awakening  his  master,  and  consulting 
him,  hut  on  once  more  glancing  at  the -two  channels,  he  be- 
came half  convinced  that  the  broader  one  must  be  the  proper 
route  to  be  followed. 

"  Bay  Japers  ! "  muttered  ho  to  himself.  "  Shure  I  can't 
be  mistaken.  The  biggest  av  the  two  ought  to  be  the  mane 
sthrame.  Anyway,  I  won't  wake  the  masther.  I  '11  lave  it 
to  the  ship  to  choose  for  hersilf."  Saying  this  he  relaxed  his 
hold  upon  the  steering  oar,  and  permitted  the  galatea  to  drift 
wTith  the  current. 

Sure  enough,  the  little  craft  inclined  towards  the  branch 
that  appeared  the  broader  one ;  and  in  ten  minutes'  time  had 
made  such  way  that  the  other  opening  was  no  longer  visible 
from  her  decks.  The  steersman,  confident  of  being  on  the 
right  course,  gave  himself  no  further  uneasiness  ;  but,  once 
more  renewing  his  hold  upon  the  steering  oar,  guided  the 
galatea  in  the  middle  of  the  channel. 

Notwithstanding  all  absence  of  suspicion  as  to  having  gone 
astray,  he  could  not  help  noticing  that  the  banks  on  each  side 
appeared  to  be  singularly  irregular,  as  if  here  and  there  in- 
dented by  deep  bays,  or  reaches  of  water.  Some  of  these 
opened  out  vistas  of  shining  surface,  apparently  illimitable, 
while  the  dark  patches  that  separated  them  looked  more  like 
clumps  of  trees  half  submerged  under  water  than  stretches  of 
solid  earth. 

As  the  galatea  continued  her  course,  this  puzzling  phenom- 
enon ceased  to  be  a  conjecture ;  Tipperary  Tom  saw  that  he 
was  no  longer  steering  down  a  river  between  two  boundary 
banks,  but  on  a  broad  expanse  of  water,  stretching  as  far  as 
eye  could  reach,  with  no  other  boundary  than  that  afforded  by 
a  flooded  forest. 

There  was  nothing  in  all  this  to  excite  alarm,  —  at  least  in 
the  mind  of  Tipperary  Tom.  The  Mundurucii,  had  he  been 
awake,  might  have  shown  some  uneasiness  at  the  situation. 
But  the  Indian  was  asleep,  —  perhaps   dreaming  of  some 


THE  GALATEA   AGROUND.  17 

Mtira  enemy,  —  whose  head  he  would  have  been  happy  to 
embalm. 

Tom  simply  supposed  himself  to  be  in  some  part  of  the 
Solimoes  flooded  beyond  its  banks,  as  he  had  seen  it  in  more 
places  than  one.  With  this  confidence,  he  stuck  faithfully  to 
his  steering  oar,  and  allowed  the  galatea-te  glide  on.  It  was 
only  when  the  reach  of  water  —  upon  which  the  craft  was 
drifting  —  began  to  narrow,  or  rather  after  it  had  narrowed 
to  a  surprising  degree,  that  the  steersman  began  to  suspect 
himself  of  having  taken  the  wrong  course. 

His  suspicions  became  stronger,  at  length  terminating  in  a 
conviction  that  such  was  the  truth,  when  the  galatea  arrived 
at  a  part  where  less  than  a  cable's  length  lay  between  her 
beam-ends  and  the  bushes  that  stood  out  of  the  water  on  both 
sides  of  her.  Too  surely  had  he  strayed  from  the  "  mane 
sthrame."  The  craft  that  carried  him  could  no  longer  be  in 
the  channel  of  the  mighty  Solimoes  ! 

The  steersman  was  alarmed,  and  this  very  alarm  hindered 
him  from  following  the  only  prudent  course  he  could  have 
taken  under  the  circumstances.  He  should  have  aroused  his 
fellow-voyagers,  and  proclaimed  the  error  into  which  he  had 
fallen.  He  did  not  do  so.  A  sense  of  shame  at  having  neg- 
lected his  duty,  or  rather  at  having  performed  it  in  an  indif- 
ferent manner,  —  a  species  of  regret  not  uncommon  among 
his  countrymen,  —  hindered  him  from  disclosing  the  truth, 
and  taking  steps  to  avert  any  evil  consequences  that  might 
spring  from  it. 

He  knew  nothing  of  the  great  river  on  which  they  were 
voyaging.  There  might  be  such  a  strait  as  that  through 
which  the  galatea  was  gliding.  The  channel  might  widen 
below ;  and,  after  all,  he  might  have  steered  in  the  proper 
direction.  With  such  conjectures,  strengthened  by  such  hopes, 
he  permitted  the  ves.-el  to  float  on. 

The  channel  did  widen  again  ;  and  the  galatea  once  more 
rode  upon  open  water.     The  steersman  was  restored  to  confi- 


18  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

dence  and  contentment.  Only  for  a  short  while  did  this  state 
of  mind  continue.  Again  the  clear  water  became  contracted, 
this  time  to  a  very  strip,  while  on  either  side  extended  reach- 
es and  estuaries,  bordered  by  half-submerged  bushes,  —  some 
of  them  opening  apparently  to  the  sky  horizon,  wider  and 
freer  from  obstruction  than  that  upon  which  the  galatea  was 
holding  her  course. 

The  steersman  no  longer  thought  of  continuing  his  course, 
which  he  was  now  convinced  must  be  the  wrong  one.  Bear- 
ing with  all  his  strength  upon  the  steering  oar,  he  endeavored 
to  direct  the  galatea  back  into  the  channel  through  which  he 
had  come  ;  but  partly  from  the  drifting  of  the  current,  and 
partly  owing  to  the  deceptive  light  of  the  moon,  he  could  no 
longer  recognize  the  latter,  and,  dropping  the  rudder  in  de- 
spair, he  permitted  the  vessel  to  drift  whichever  way  the 
current  might  carry  her ! 

Before  Tipperary  Tom  could  summon  courage  to  make 
known  to  his  companions  the  dilemma  into  which  he  had  con- 
ducted them,  the  galatea  had  drifted  among  the  tree-tops  of 
the  flooded  forest,  where  she  was  instantly  "  brought  to  an- 
chor." 

The  crashing  of  broken  boughs  roused  her  crew  from  their 
slumbers.  The  ex-miner,  followed  by  his  children,  rushed 
forth  from  the  toldo.  He  was  not  only  alarmed,  but  per- 
plexed, by  the  unaccountable  occurrence.  Mozey  was  equally 
in  a  muddle.  The  only  one  who  appeared  to  comprehend  the 
situation  was  the  old  Indian,  who  showed  sufficient  uneasiness 
as  to  its  consequences  by  the  terrified  manner  in  which  he 
called  out :  "  The  Gapo  !     The  Gapo ! " 


THE  MONKEY-POTS.  19 

CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    MONKEY-POTS. 

"nnHE    Gapo?"   exclaimed    the    master    of    the   craft. 

X    "  What  is  it,  Munday  ?  " 

"  The  Gapo  ?  "  repeated  Tipperary  Tom,  fancying  by  the 
troubled  expression  on  the  face  of  the  Indian  that  he  had 
conducted  his  companions  toward  some  terrible  disaster. 
"  Phwat  is  it,  Manday  ?  " 

"  Da  Gapoo  ? "  simultaneously  interrogated  the  negro,  the 
whites  of  his  eyeballs  shining  in  the  moonlight.  "  What  be 
dat  ?  " 

The  Mundurucu  made  reply  only  by  a  wave  of  his  hand, 
and  a  glance  around  him,  as  if  to  say,  "  Yes,  the  Gapo ;  you 
see  we  're  in  it." 

The  three  interrogators  were  as  much  in  the  dark  as  ever. 
Whether  the  Gapo  was  fish,  flesh,  or  fowl,  air,  fire,  or  water, 
they  could  not  even  guess.  There  was  but  one  upon  the 
galatea  besides  the  Indian  himself  who  knew  the  signification 
of  the  word  which  had  created  such  a  sensation  among  the 
crew,  and  this  was  young  Richard  Trevannion. 

"  It 's  nothing,  uncle,"  said  he,  hastening  to  allay  the*  alarm 
around  him ;  "  old  Munday  means  that  we  've  strayed  from 
the  true  channel  of  the  Solimoes,  and  got  into  the  flooded 
forest,  —  that  's  all." 

"The  flooded  forest?" 

"  Yes.  What  you  see  around  us,  looking  like  low  bushes, 
are  the  tops  of  tall  trees.  We  're  now  aground  on  the 
branches  of  a  sapucaya,  —  a  species  of  the  Brazil-nut,  and 
among  the  tallest  of  Amazonian  trees.  I  'm  right,  —  see  ! 
there  are  the  nuts  themselves!"  As  the  young  Paraense 
spoke,  he  pointed  to  some  pericarps,  large  as  cocoa-nuts,  that 
were  seen  depending  from  the  branches  among  which  the 


20  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

galatea  had  caught.  Grasping  one  of  them  in  his  hand,  he 
wrenched  it  from  the  branch;  but  as  he  did  so,  the  husk 
dropped  off,  and  the  prism-shaped  nuts  fell  like  a  shower  of 
huge  hailstones  on  the  roof  of  the  toldo.  "  Monkey-pots  they 
're  called,"  continued  he,  referring  to  the  empty  pericarp 
still  in  his  hand.  "  That 's  the  name  by  which  the  Indians 
know  them ;  because  the  monkeys  are  very  fond  of  these 
nuts." 

"  But  the  Gapo  ?  "  interrupted  the  ex-miner,  observing  that 
the  expressive  look  of  uneasiness  still  clouded  the  brow  of 
the  Mundurucu. 

"  It  's  the  Indian  name  for  the  great  inundation,"  replied 
Richard,  in  the  same  tranquil  tone.  "  Or  rather  I  should 
say,  the  name  for  it  in  the  lingoa-geral." 

"  And  what  is  there  to  fear  ?  Munday  has  frightened  us 
all,  and  seems  frightened  himself.     What  is  the  cause  ?  " 

"  That  I  can't  tell  you,  uncle.  I  know  there  are  queer 
stories  about  the  Gapo,  —  tales  of  strange  monsters  that  in- 
habit it,  —  huge  serpents,  enormous  apes,  and  all  that  sort  of 
thing.  I  never  believed  them,  though  the  tapuyos  do ;  and 
from  old  Munday's  actions  I  suppose  he  puts  full  faith  in 
them." 

"  The  young  patron  is  mistaken,"  interposed  the  Indian, 
speaking  a  patois  of  the  lingoa-geral.  "  The  Mundurucu 
does  not  believe  in  monsters.  He  believes  in  big  serpents 
and  monkeys,  —  he  has  seen  them." 

"But  shure  yez  are  not  afeerd  o'  them,  Manday?"  asked 
the  Irishman. 

The  Indian  only  replied  by  turning  on  Tipperary  Tom  a 
most  scornful  look. 

"What  is  the  use  of  this  alarm  ?"  inquired  Trevannion. 
"  The  galatea  does  not  appear  to  have  sustained  any  injury. 
We  can  easily  get  her  out  of  her  present  predicament,  by 
lopping  off  the  branches  that  are  holding  her."    » 

"  Patron,"  said  the  Indian,  still  speaking  in  a  serious  tone, 


THE  MONKEY-POTS.  21 

"  it  may  not  be  so  easy  as  you  think.  "We  may  get  clear  of 
the  tree-top  in  ten  minutes.  In  as  many  hours  —  perhaps 
days  —  we  may  not  get  clear  of  the  Gapo.  That  is  why 
the  Mundurucu  shows  signs  of  apprehension." 

"  Ho  !  You  think  we  may  have  a  difficulty  in  finding  our 
way  back  to  the  channel  of  the  river  ?  " 

"  Think  it,  patron  !  I  am  too  sure  of  it.  If  not,  we  shall 
be  in  the  best  of  good  luck." 

"  It 's  of  no  use  trying  to-night,  at  all  events,"  pursued 
Trevannion,  as  he  glanced  uncertainly  around  him.  "  The 
moon  is  sinking  over  the  tree-tops.  Before  we  could  well 
get  adrift,  she  '11  be  gone  out  of  sight.  We  might  only  drift 
deeper  int»  the  maze.     Is  that  your  opinion,  Munday  ?  " 

"  It  is,  patron.  We  can  do  no  good  by  leaving  the  place 
to-night.     Wiser  for  us  to  wait  for  the  light  of  the  sun." 

"  Let  all  go  to  rest,  then,"  commanded  the  patron,  "  and 
be  ready  for  work  in  the  morning.  We  need  keep  no  look- 
out, I  should  think.  The  galatea  is  as  safe  here  as  if 
moored  in  a  dry  dock.  She  is  aground,  I  take  it,  upon  the 
limb  of  a  tree  !     Ha !  ha  !  ha  !  " 

The  thought  of  such  a  situation  for  a  sailing  craft  — 
moored  amid  the  tops  of  a  tall  tree  —  was  of  so  ludicrous  a 
nature  as  to  elicit  a  peal  of  laughter  from  the  patron,  which 
was  echoed  by  the  rest  of  the  crew,  the  Mundurucu  alone 
excepted.  His  countenance  still  preserved  its  expression 
of  uneasiness ;  and  long  after  the  others  had  sunk  into  un- 
conscious sleep,  he  sat  upon  the  stem  of  the  galatea,  gazing 
out  into  the  gloom,  with  glances  that  betokened  serious  ap- 
prehension. 


22  AFLOAT   IN  TIIE   FOREST. 

CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    GArO. 

THE  young  Paraense  had  given  a  correct,  although  not 
sufficiently  explicit,  account  of  the  sort  of  place  in  which 
the  galatea  had  gone  "  aground." 

That  singular  phenomenon  known  as  the  Gapo  (or  Ygapo), 
and  which  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  characteristics  of 
the  great  Amazonian  region,  demands  a  more  detailed  de- 
scription. It  is  worthy  of  this,  as  a  mere  study  of  physical 
geography,  —  perhaps  as  pleasant  a  science  as-  any ;  and 
furthermore,  it  is  here  absolutely  necessary  to  the  under- 
standing of  our  tale.  Without  some  comprehension  of 
the  circumstances  that  surrounded  them,  the  hardships  and 
sufferings  endured,  the  adventures  accomplished,  and  the 
perils  passed  by  the  crew  of  the  strayed  galatea,  would  ap- 
pear as  so  many  fabulous  inventions,  set  forth  to  stimulate 
and  gratify  a  taste  for  the  merely  marvellous.  Young  read- 
er, this  is  not  the  aim  of  your  author,  nor  does  he  desire  it 
to  be  the  end.  On  the  contrary,  he  claims  to  draw  Nature 
with  a  verisimilitude  that  will  challenge  the  criticism  of  the 
naturalist ;  though  he  acknowledges  a  predilection  for  Nature 
in  her  wildest  aspects,  —  for  scenes  least  exposed  to  the  eye 
of  civilization,  and  yet  most  exposed  to  its  doubting  incredulity. 

There  are  few  country  people  who  have  not  witnessed  the 
spectacle  of  a  piece  of  woodland  inundated  by  the  overflow 
of  a  neighboring  stream.  This  flood  is  temporary  ;  the  waters 
soon  subside  into  their  ordinary  channel,  and  the  trees  once 
more  appear  growing  out  of  terra  Jirma,  with  the  green  mead 
spreading  on  all  sides  around  them.  But  a  flooded  forest  is 
a  very  different  affair;  somewhat  similar  in  character  indeed, 
but  far  grander.  Not  a  mere  spinney  of  trees  along  the 
bank  of  a  small  stream ;  but  a  region  extending  beyond  the 


THE  GAPO.  23 

reach  of  vision,  —  a  vast  tract  of  primeval  woods,  —  the 
tall  trees  submerged  to  their  very  tops,  not  for  days,  nor 
weeks,  but  for  months,  —  ay,  some  of  them  forever!  Pic- 
ture to  your  mind  an  inundation  of  this  kind,  and  you  will 
have  some  idea  of  the  Gapo. 

Extending  for  seventeen  hundred  miles  along  the  banks 
of  the  Solimaes,  now  wider  on  the  northern,  now  stretching 
farther  back  from  the  southern  side,  this  semi-submerged 
forest  is  found,  its  interior  almost  as  unknown  as  the  crater- 
like caverns  of  the  moon,  or  the  icy  oceans  that  storm  or 
slumber  round  the  Poles,  —  unknown  to  civilized  man,  but 
not  altogether  to  the  savage.  The  aboriginal  of  Amazonia, 
crouching  in  his  canoe,  has  pierced  this  water-land  of  won- 
ders. He  could  tell  you  much  about  it  that  is  real,  and 
much  that  is  marvellous,  —  the  latter  too  often  pronounced 
fanciful  by  lettered  savans.  He  could  tell  you  of  strange 
trees  that  grow  there,  bearing  strange  fruits,  not  to  be  found 
elsewhere,  —  of  wonderful  quadrupeds,  and  quadrumana,  that 
exist  only  in  the  Gapo,  —  of  birds  brilliantly  beautiful,  and 
reptiles  hideously  ugly ;  among  the  last  the  dreaded  dragon 
serpent,  "  Sucuriyu."  He  could  tell  you,  moreover,  of  crea- 
tures of  his  own  kind,  —  if  they  deserve  the  name  of  man,  — 
who  dwell  continuously  in  the  flooded  forest,  making  their 
home  On  scaffolds  among  the  tree-tops,  passing  from  place 
to  place  in  floating  rafts  or  canoes,  finding  their  subsistence 
on  fish,  on  the  flesh  of  the  manatee„on  birds,  beasts,  reptiles, 
and  insects,  on  the  stalks  of  huge  water-plants  and  the  fruits 
of  undescribed  trees,  on  monkeys,  and  sometimes  upon  man! 
Such  Indians  as  have  penetrated  the  vast  water-land  have 
brought  strange  tales  out  of  it.  We  may  give*  credence  to 
them  or  refuse  it ;  but  they,  at  least,  are  firm  believers  in 
most  of  the  accounts  which  they  have  collected. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  Gapo  is  impenetrable. 
On  the  contrary,  there  are  several  well-known  water-ways 
leading  through  it, —  well-known,  I  mean,  to   the  Indians 


24  AFLOAT  FN  THE  FOREST. 

dwelling  upon  its  borders,  to  the  tapuyos,  whose  business  it 
is  to  supply  crews  for  the  galateas  of  the  Portuguese  traders, 
and  to  many  of  these  traders  themselves.  These  water- 
ways are  often  indicated  by  "  blazings  "  on  the  trees,  or  bro- 
ken branches,  just  as  the  roads  are  laid  out  by  pioneer  set- 
tlers in  a  North  American  forest ;  and  but  for  these  marks, 
they  could  not  be  followed.  Sometimes,  however,  large 
spaces  occur  in  which  no  trees  are  to  be  seen,  where,  in- 
deed, none  grow.  There  are  extensive  lakes,  always  under 
water,  even  at  the  lowest  ebb  of  the  inundation.  They  are 
of  all  sizes  and  every  possible  configuration,  from  the  com- 
plete circle  through  all  the  degrees  of  the  ellipse,  and  not  un- 
frequently  in  the  form  of  a  belt,  like  the  channel  of  a  river 
running  for  scores  of  miles  between  what  might  readily  be 
mistaken  for  banks  covered  with  a  continuous  thicket  of 
low  bushes,  which  are  nothing  more  than  the  "spray"  of 
evergreen  trees,  whose  roots  lie  forty  feet  under  water  ! 

More  frequently  these  openings  are  of  irregular  shape,  and 
of  such  extent  as  to  merit  the  title  of  "  inland  seas."  When 
such  are  to  be  crossed,  the  sun  has  to  be  consulted  by  the 
canoe  or  galatea  gliding  near  their  centre  ;  and  when  he  is  not 
visible,  —  by  no  means  a  rare  phenomenon  in  the  Gapo, — then 
is  there  great  danger  of  the  craft  straying  from  her  course. 

When  within  sight  of  the  so-called  "  shore,"  a  clump  of 
peculiar  form,  or  a  tree  topping  over  its  fellows,  is  used  as  a 
landmark,  and  often  guides  the  navigator  of  the  Gapo  to  the 
igarita  of  which  he  is  in  search.  • 

It  is  not  all  tranquillity  on  this  tree-studded  ocean.  It 
has  its  fogs,  its  gales,  and  its  storms,  —  of  frequent  occur- 
rence. The  canoe  is  oft  shattered  against  the  stems  of  gi- 
gantic trees ;  and  the  galatea  goes  down,  leaving  her  crew 
to  perish  miserably  in  the  midst  of  a  gloomy  wilderness  of 
wood  and  water.  Many  strange  tales  are  told  of  such  mis- 
haps ;  but  up  to  the  present  hour  none  have  received  the 
permanent  record  of  print  and  paper. 

Be  it  our  task  to  supply  this  deficiency. 


THE  ECHENTE.  25 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE    ECHENTE. 

IT  would  not  be  true  to  say  that  the  crew  of  the  galatea 
were  up  with  the  sun.  There  was  no  sun  to  shine  upon 
the  gloomy  scene  that  revealed  itself  next  morning.  In- 
stead, there  was  a  fog  almost  thick  enough  to  be  grasped 
with  the  hand.  They  were  astir,  however,  by  the  earliest 
appearance  of  day ;  for  the  captain  of  the  galatea  was  too 
anxious  about  his  "  stranded  "  craft  to  lie  late  abed. 

They  had  no  difficulty  in  getting  the  vessel  afloat.  A 
strong  pull  at  the  branches  of  the  sapucaya,  and  then  an 
adroit  use  of  the  paddles,  carried  the  craft  clear. 

But  what  was  the  .profit  of  this  ?  Once  out  in  the  open 
water,  they  were  as  badly  off  as  ever.  Not  one  of  them  had 
the  slightest  idea  of  the  direction  they  would  take,  even 
supposing  they  could  find  a  clear  course  in  any  direction! 
A  consultation  was  the  result,  in  which  all  hands  took  part, 
though  it  was  evident  that,  after  the  patron,  most  deference 
was  paid  to  the  Mundurucu.  The  young  Paraense  stood 
next  in  the  scale  of  respect ;  while  Tipperary  Tom,  beyond 
the  account  which  he  was  called  upon  to  give  of  his  steers- 
manship,  was  not  permitted  to  mingle  his  Hibernian  brogue 
in  the  discussion. 

"Where  was  the  river?  That  was  the  first  problem  to  be 
solved,  and  of  this  there  appeared  to  be  no  pos'sible  solution. 
There  was  no  sun  to  guide  them,  no  visible  sky.  Even 
had  there  been  both,  it  would  scarce  have  mended  the  mat- 
ter. The  steersman  could  not  tell  whether,  on  straying 
from  the  channel,  he  had  drifted  to  the  south  or  the  north, 
the  east  or  the  west ;  and,  indeed,  an  intellect  less  obtuse  than 
that  of  Tipperary  Tom  might  have  been  puzzled  upon  the 
point.  It  has  been  already  mentioned,  that  the  Solimoes  is 
2 


26  AFLOAT  IN   THE   FOREST. 

so  tortuous  as  to  turn  to  every  point  of  the  compass  in  its 
slow  course.  The  mere  fact  that  the  moon  was  shining  at 
the  time  could  be  of  little  use  to  Tippcrary  Tom,  whose  as- 
tronomy had  never  extended  beyond  the  knowledge  that 
there  was  a  moon. 

"Where  lay  the  river  ?  The  interrogatory  was  repeated  a 
score  of  times,  without  receiving  a  satisfactory  answer; 
though  every  one  on  board  —  the  little  Rosita  excepted  — 
ventured  some  sort  of  reply,  most,  however,  offering  their 
opinion  with  a  doubting  diffidence.  The  Mundurucu,  al- 
though repeatedly  appealed  to,  had  taken  small  part  in  the 
discussion,  remaining  silent,  his  eyes  moodily  wandering  over 
the  water,  seeking  through  the  fog  for  some  clew  to  their  es- 
cape from  the  spot. 

No  one  plied  the  paddles  ;  they  had  impelled  her  out  of 
sight  of  the  sapucaya,  now  shrouded  'in  the  thick  fog ;  but, 
as  it  was  useless  paddling  any  farther,  all  hands  had  desisted, 
and  were  now  resting  upon  their  oars.  At  this  moment  it 
was  perceived  that  the  galatea  was  in  motion.  The  Mun- 
durucu was  the  first  to  notice  it ;  for  his  attention  had  for 
some  time  been  directed  to  such  discovery.  For  this  reason 
had  he  cast  his  searching  glances,  now  down  into  the  turbid 
waters,  and  now  out  through  the  murky  atmosphere.  A 
thicket  was  discernible  through  the  fog,  but  every  moment 
becoming  less  distinct.  Of  course  it  was  only  a  collection 
of  tree-tops  ;  but  whatever  it  was,  it  soon  became  evident  that 
the  galatea  was  very  slowly  receding  from  it.  On  discov- 
ering this,  the  Mundurucu  displayed  signs  of  fresh  animation. 
He  had  been  for  some  minutes  lying  upon  his  face,  craning 
out  over  the  gangway,  and  his  long  withered  arms  submerged 
in  the  water.  The  others  occupied  themselves  in  guessing 
what  he  was  about ;  but  their  guesses  had  been  to  no  pur- 
pose. Equally  purposeless  had  appeared  the  actions  of  the 
Indian  ;  for,  after  keeping  his  arm  under  water  for  a  period 
of  several  minutes,  he  drew  it  in  with  a  dissatisfied  air,  and 


THE  ECHENTE.  27 

once  more  arose  to  his  feet.  It  was  just  then  that  he  per- 
ceived  the  tree-tops,  upon  which  he  kept  his  eyes  sharply 
fixed,  until  assured  that  the  galatea  was  going  away  from 
them. 

"  Hoola  !  "  he  exclaimed,  attempting  to  imitate  the  cry  he 
had  more  than  once  heard  issuing  from  the  lips  of  Tipperary 
Tom.  "  Hoola  !  the  river  is  out  there  !  "  As  he  spoke,  he 
pointed  towards  the  tree-tops. 

It  was  the  first  confident  answer  to  the  all-important 
question. 

"  How  can  you  tell  that,  Munday  ?  "  inquired  the  captain 
of  the  craft. 

"  How  tell,  patron  ?  How  tell  day  from  night,  the  moon 
from  the  sun,  fire  from  water?  The  Solimoes  is  there." 
The  Indian  spoke  with  his  arm  still  extended  in  the  direction 
of  the  trees. 

"  We  are  willing  to  believe  you,"  rejoined  Trevannion, 
"  and  will  trust  to  your  guidance ;  but  pray  explain  your- 
self." 

"  It  's  all  guess-work,"  interpolated  Tipperary  Tom. 
"  Ould  Munday  knows  no  more  av  fwat  he  's  talkin'  about 
than  Judy  Fitzcummons's  mother.  I  '11  warrant  ye  we 
come  in  from  the  t'other  side." 

"  Silence,  Tom!"  commanded  his  master.  "Let  us  hear 
what  Munday  has  to  say.  You  have  no  right  to  contradict 
him." 

"  Och,  awance !  An  Indyen's  opinion  prefarred  before 
that  ov  a  freeborn  Oirishman !  I  wondher  what  nixt." 
And  as  Tipperary  completed  his  chapter  of  reproaches,  he 
slank  crouchingly  under  the  shadow  of  the  toldo. 

"  So  you  think  the  river  is  there  ?  "  said  Trevannion,  once 
more  addressing  himself  to  the  Mundurucu. 

"The  Mundurucu  is  sure  of  it,  patron.  Sure  as  that  the 
sky  is  above  us." 

"  Remember,  old  man  !   It  won't  do  for  us  to  make  any  mis- 


28  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

take.  No  doubt  we  've  already  strayed  a  considerable  dis- 
tance from  tbe  channel  of  the  Solinioes.  To  go  again  from 
it  will  he  to  endanger  our  lives." 

"  The  Mundurucii  knows  that,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

"  "Well,  then,  we  must  be  satisfied  of  the  fact,  before  we 
can  venture  to  make  a  move.  "What  proof  can  you  give  us 
that  the  river  lies  in  that  direction  ?  " 

"  Patron !  You  know  the  month  ?  It  is  the  month  of 
March." 

"  Certainly  it  is.     "What  of  that  ?  " 

"  The  echente." 

"  The  echente  ?     What  is  that  ?  " 

"  The  flood  getting  bigger.  The  water  on  the  rise,  —  the 
Gapo  still  growing,  —  that  is  the  echente" 

"  But  how  should  that  enable  you  to  determine  the  di- 
rection of  the  river  ?  " 

"  It  has  done  so,"  replied  the  Indian.  "  Not  before  three 
months  —  in  June  —  will  come  the  vasante." 

"The  vasante?" 

"  The  vasante,  patron  :  the  fall.  Then  the  Gapo  will  be- 
gin to  grow  less ;  and  the  current  will  be  towards  the  river, 
as  now  it  is  from  it." 

"Your  story  appears  reasonable  enough.  I  suppose  we 
may  trust  to  it.  If  so,"  added  Trevannion,  "  we  had  better 
direct  our  course  towards  yonder  tree-tops,  and  lose  no  time 
in  getting  beyond  them.  All  of  you  to  your  paddles,  and 
pull  cheerily.  Let  us  make  up  for  the  time  we  have  lost 
through  the  negligence  of  Tipperary  Tom.  Pull,  my  lads, 
pull ! " 

At  this  cheering  command  the  four  paddlers  rushed  to 
their  places ;  and  the  galatea,  impelled  by  their  vigorous 
strokes,  once  more  glided  gayly  over  the  bosom  of  the 
waters. 


AN  IMPASSABLE  BARRIER.  29 

CHAPTER  IX. 

AN    IMPASSABLE    BARRIER. 

IN  a  few  moments  the  boat's  bow  was  brought  within  half 
a  cable's  length  of  the  boughs  of  the  submerged  trees. 
Her  crew  could  see  that  to  proceed  farther,  on  a  direct  course, 
was  simply  impossible.  With  equal  reason  might  they  have 
attempted  to  hoist  her  into  the  air,  and  leap  over  the  ob- 
struction that  had  presented  itself  before  them. 

Not  only  were  the  branches  of  the  adjoining  trees  inter- 
locked, but  from  one  to  the  other  straggled  a  luxurious 
growth  of  creepers,  forming  a  network  so  strong  and  com- 
pact that  a  steamer  of  a  hundred  horse-power  would  have 
been  safely  brought  to  a  stand  among  its  meshes.  Of  course 
no  attempt  was  made  to  penetrate  this  impenetrable  chevaux 
defrise;  and  after  a  while  had  been  spent  in  reconnoitring 
it,  Trevannion,  guided  by  the  counsel  of  the  Mundurucu,  or- 
dered the  galatea  to  go  about,  and  proceed  along  the  selvage 
of  the  submerged  forest.  An  hour  was  spent  in  paddling. 
No  opening.  Another  hour  similarly  employed,  and  with 
shnilar  results ! 

The  river  might  be  in  the  direction  pointed  out  by  the 
Indian.'  No  doubt  it  was;  but  how  were  they  to  reach  it? 
Not  a  break  appeared  in  all  that  long  traverse  wide  enough 
to  admit  the  passage  of  a  canoe.  Even  an  arrow  could  scarce 
have  penetrated  among  the  trees,  that  extended  their  parasite- 
laden  branches  beyond  the  border  of  the  forest!  By  tacit 
consent  of  the  patron,  the  paddlers  rested  upon  their  oars ; 
then  plied  them  once  more ;  and  once  mora  came  to  a  pause. 

No  opening  among  the  tree-tops ;  no  chance  to  reach  the 
channel  of  the  Solimoes.  The  gloomy  day  became  gloomier, 
for  night  was  descending  over  the  Gapo.  The  crew  of  the 
galatea,  wearied  with  many  hours  of  exertion,  ceased  pad- 
dling.    The  patron  did  not  oppose  them ;  for  his  spirit,  as 


30  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

well  as  theirs,  had  become  subdued  by  hope  long  deferred. 
As  upon  the  previous  night,  the  craft  was  moored  among 
the  tree-tops,  where  her  rigging,  caught  among  the  creepers, 
seemed  enough  to  keep  her  from  drifting  away.  But  very 
different  from  that  of  the  preceding  night  was  the  slumber 
enjoyed  by  her  crew.  Amidst  the  boughs  of  the  sapucaya, 
there  had  been  nothing  to  disturb  their  tranquillity,  save  the 
occasional  shower  of  nuts,  caused  by  tbe  cracking  of  the  dry 
shells,  and  the  monkey-pots  discharging  their  contents.  Then 
was  the  galatea  "  grounded  "  upon  a  solitary  tree,  which  car- 
ried only  its  own  fruit.  To-night  she  was  moored  in  the 
middle  of  a  forest,  —  at  all  events  upon  its  edge,  —  a  forest, 
not  of  the  earth,  nor  the  air,  nor  the  water,  but  of  all  three,  — 
a  forest  whose  inhabitants  might  be  expected  to  partake  of  a 
character  altogether  strange  and  abnormal.  And  of  such 
character  were  they ;  for  scarce  had  the  galatea  become  set- 
tled among  the  tree-tops,  when  the  ears  of  her  crew  were 
assailed  by  a  chorus  of  sounds,  that  with  safety  might  have 
challenged  the  choir  of  Pandemonium.  Two  alone  remained 
undismayed,  —  Richard  Trevannion  and  the  Mundurucu. 

"  Bah ! "  exclaimed  the  Paraense,  "  what  are  you  all 
frightened  at  ?     Don't  you  know  what  it  is,  uncle  ?  " 

"  I  know  what  it  resembles,  boy,  —  the  Devil  and  his  le- 
gions let  loose  from  below.     What  is  it,  Dick  ?  " 

"  Only  the  howlers.     Don't  be  alarmed,  little  Rosita"!  " 

The  little  Peruvian,  gaining  courage  from  his  words,  looked 
admiringly  on  the  youth  who  had  called  her  "  little  Rosita." 
Any  one  could  have  told  that,  from  that  time  forward,  Rich- 
ard Trevannion  might  have  the  power  to  control  the  desti- 
nies of  his  cousin. 

"  The  howlers  !    What  are  they  ?  "  inquired  the  old  miner. 

"  Monkeys,  uncle ;  nothing  more.  From  the  noise  they 
make,  one  might  suppose  they  were  as  big  as  buffaloes. 
Nothing  of  the  kind.  The  largest  I  ever  saw  was  hardly  as 
stout  as  a  deerhound,  though  he  could  make  as  much  noise  as 
a  whole  kennel.     They  have  a  sort  of  a  drum  in  the  throat, 


AN  IMPASSABLE  BARRIER.  31 

that  acts  as  a  sound-board.  That's  what  enables  them  to 
get  up  such  a  row.  I  've  often  heard  their  concert  more 
than  two  miles  across  country,  especially  in  prospect  of  an 
approaching  storm.  I  don't  know  if  they  follow  this  fashion 
in  the  Gapo ;  but  if  they  do,  from  the  way  they  're  going  it 
now,  we  may  look  out  for  a  trifling  tornado." 

Notwithstanding  the  apparent  unconcern  with  which  young 
Trevannion  declared  himself,  there  was  something  in  his 
manner  that  arrested  the  attention  of  his  uncle.  While  pro- 
nouncing his  hypothetical  forecast  of  a  storm,  he  had  turned 
his  glance  towards  the  sky,  and  kept  it  fixed  there,  as  if 
making  something  more  than  a  transient  observation.  The 
fog  had  evaporated,  and  the  moon  was  now  coursing  across 
the  heavens,  not  against  a  field  of  cloudy  blue,  but  in  the 
midst  of  black,  cumulous  clouds,  that  every  now  and  then 
shrouded  her  effulgence.  A  dweller  in  the  tropics  of  the 
"Western  hemisphere  would  have  pronounced  this  sign  the 
certain  forerunner  of  a  storm ;  and  so  predicted  the  young 
Paraense.  "  We  '11  have  the  sky  upon  us  within  an  hour," 
said  he,  addressing  himself  more  especially  to  his  uncle. 
"  We  'd  better  tie  the  galatea  to  the  trees.  If  this  be  a  hur- 
ricane, and  she  goes  adrift,  there  's  no  knowing  where  we 
may  bring  up.  The  likeliest  place  will  be  in  the  bottom  of 
the  Gapo." 

"  The  young  patron  speaks  truth,"  interposed  Munday,  his 
eyes  all  the  while  reading  the  signs  of  the  heavens.-  "  The 
Muudurucu  knows  by  yonder  yellow  sky." 

As  he  spoke,  the  Indian  pointed  to  a  patch  of  brimstone- 
colored  clouds,  conspicuous  over  the  tops  of  the  trees. 
There  was  no  reason  why  Ealph  Trevannion  should  not 
give  credit  to  the  two  weather-prophets,  who  could  have 
no  personal  motive  in  thus  warning  him.  He  yielded,  there- 
fore, to  their  solicitation  ;  and  in  ten  minutes  more  the  gala- 
tea  was  secured  among  the  tree-tops,  as  fast  as  cords  could 
make  her 


32  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

CHAPTER  X. 

A    TROPICAL    TORNADO. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  apparently  complete  se- 
curity thus  obtained  for  the  craft,  the  Mundurucii  did 
not  seem  to  be  easy  in  his  mind.  He  had  climbed  up  the 
mast  to  the  yard,  and,  having  there  poised  himself,  sat  gazing 
over  the  tops  of  the  trees  upon  the  patch  of  brimstone  sky 
which  was  visible  in  that  direction.  The  others  all  talked 
of  going  to  sleep,  except  the  young  Paraense,  who  coun- 
selled them  to  keep  awake.  He,  too,  like  the  Mundurucii, 
was  troubled  with  forebodings.  He  understood  the  weather- 
signs  of  the  Solimoes,  and  saw  that  a  storm  was  portending. 
Though  the  sun  had  not  been  visible  during  the  whole  day, 
it  was  now  about  the  hour  of  his  setting ;  and  as  if  the  storm 
had  been  waiting  for  this  as  a  signal,  it  now  boldly  broke 
forth.  A  few  quick  puffs,  with  short  intervals  between-  them, 
were  its  precursors.  These  were  soon  followed  by  gusts, 
stronger,  as  well  as  noisier,  in  their  advent ;  and  then  the 
wind  kept  up  a  continuous  roaring  among  the  tops  of  the 
trees  ;  while  above  the  thunder  rolled  incessantly,  filling  the 
firmament  with  its  terrible  voice.  Deep  darkness  and  the 
vivid  glare  of  the  lightning-flashes  followed  each  other  in 
quick  succession.  At  one  moment  all  was  obscure  around 
the  crew  of  the  galatea,  —  the  sky,  the  trees,  the  water,  even 
the  vessel  herself;  in  the  next,  everything  was  made  mani- 
fest, to  the  distance  of  miles,  under  a  brilliance  garish  and 
unearthly.  To  add  to  the  unnatural  appearance  of  things, 
there  were  other  sounds  than  those  of  the  thunder  or  the 
storm,  —  the  cries  of  living  creatures,  strange  and  unknown. 
Birds  they  might  be,  or  beasts,  or  reptiles,  or  all  these,  com- 
mingling their  screams,  and  other  accents  of  affright,  with 
the  sharp  whistling  of  the  wind,  the  hoarse  rumbling  of  the 
thunder,  and  the  continuous  crashing  of  the  branches. 


A   TROPICAL  TORNADO.  33 

The  crew  of  the  galatea  were  on  the  alert,  with  awe  de- 
picted on  every  face.  Their  fear  was  lest  the  craft  should 
be  blown  away  from  her  moorings,  and  carried  out  into  the 
open  water,  which  was  now  agitated  by  the  fury  of  the  storm. 
Almost  under  the  first  lashing  of  the  wind,  huge  waves  had 
sprung  up,  with  white  crests,  that  under  the  electric  light 
gleamed  fiercely  along  the  yellow  swell  of  the  turbid  water. 
Their  anxiety  was  of  short  continuance ;  for  almost  on  the 
instant  of  its  rising,  it  became  reality.  Unfortunately,  the 
tree  to  which  the  craft  had  been  tied  was  one  whose  wood 
was  of  a  soft  and  succulent  nature,  —  a  species  of  melastoma. 
Its  branches  were  too  brittle  to  bear  the  strain  thus  unex- 
pectedly put  upon  them  ;  and  almost  at  the  first  onset  of  the 
tornado  they  began  to  give  way,  snapping  off  one  after  the' 
other  in  quick  succession.  So  rapid  was  the  process  of  de- 
tachment, that,  before  fresh  moorings  could  be  made,  the 
last  cord  had  come  away ;  and  the  galatea,  like  a  greyhound 
loosed  from  the  leash,  shot  out  from  among  the  tree-tops,  and 
went  off  in  wild  career  over  the  waves  of  the  Gapo.  Before 
any  control  could  be  gained  over  her  by  her  terrified  crew, 
she  had  made  several  cables'  length  into  the  open  water,  and 
was  still  sweeping  onward  over  its  seething  surface.  To 
turn  her  head  towards  the  trees  was  clearly  out  of  the  ques- 
tion. The  attempt  would  have  been  idle.  Both  wind  and 
waves  carried  her  in  the  opposite  direction,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  current,  against  which  she  had  been  already  contending. 
The  crew  no  longer  thought  of  returning  to  the  tree-tops, 
out  of  which  they  had  been  so  unceremoniously  swept: 
Their  only  chance  of  safety  appeared  to  be  to  keep  the 
craft,  as  well  balanced  as  circumstances  would  permit,  and 
run  before  the  wind.  Even  this  for  a  time  seemed  but  a. 
doubtful  chance.  The  wind  blew,  not  in  regular,  uniform 
direction,  but  in  short,  fitful  gusts,  as  if  coming  from  every 
point  of  the  compass ;  and  the  waves  rolled  around  them  a3 
tigh  as  houses.     In  the  midst  of  a  chopping,  purging  sea,  the 

2*  C 


34  AFLOAT   IN   THE  FOREST. 

galatca  tumbled  and  pitched,  now  head,  now  stern  foremost, 
at  times  going  onward  in  mad  career,  and  with  headlong 
speed.  The  parrots  and  macaws  upon  the  yard  had  as  much 
as  their  strong  claws  could  do  to  keep  their  perch ;  and  the 
monkeys,  cowering  under  the  shelter  of  the  toldo,  clung  close 
to  its  timbers.  Both  birds  and  beasts  mingled  their  terrified 
cries  with  the  creaking  of  the  galatea's  timbers  and  the 
shouts  of  her  crew.  The  Gapo  threatened  to  ingulf  them. 
Every  moment  might  be  their  last !  And  with  this  dread 
belief,  scarce  for  a  moment  out  of  their  minds,  did  our  adven- 
turers pass  the  remainder  of  that  remarkable  night,  the  gala- 
tea  galloping  onward,  they  could  not  tell  whither.  All  they 
knew  or  could  remember  of  that  nocturnal  voyage  was,  that 
the  vessel  kept  upon  her  course,  piloted  only  by  the  winds 
and  waves,  —  at  times  tossing  within  deep  troughs  of  turbu- 
lent water,  at  times  poised  upon  the  summits  of  ridge-like 
swells,  but  ever  going  onward  at  high  speed,  seemingly  ten 
knots  an  hour ! 

For  a  long  while  they  saw  around  them  only  open  water, 
as  of  some  great  lake  or  inland  sea.  At  a  later  hour,  the 
lightning  revealed  the  tops  of  submerged  trees,  such  as  those 
they  had  left  behind ;  but  standing  out  of  the  water  in  clumps 
or  coppices,  that  appeared  like  so  many  islands.  Amidst 
these  they  were  carried,  sometimes  so  close  to  the  trees  as 
to  give  them  hopes  of  being  able  to  grasp  their  boughs. 
Once  or  twice  the  rigging  of  the  galatea  brushed  among  the 
branches ;  and  they  used  every  effort  to  stay  their  runaway 
craft,  and  bring  her  to  an  anchorage.  But  in  vain.  The 
storm  was  stronger  than  the  united  strength  of  the  crew. 
The  twigs  clutched  with  eager  hands  parted  in  twain,  and 
the  storm-driven  vessel  swept  on  amid  the  surging  waters. 

Daylight  arrived  at  length,  breaking  through  a  red  aurora, 
soon  followed  by  a  brilliant  sunrise.  This  somewhat  cheered 
our  despairing  adventurers.  But  the  tempest  was  still  rag- 
ing with  undiminished  fury,  the  wind  as  loud  and  the  waves 


A  TROPICAL  TORNADO.  35 

as  high  as  at  any  period  throughout  the  night.  Once  more 
they  were  in  the  middle  of  a  waste  of  waters,  neither  trees 
nor  land  in  sight.  Another  great  lake  or  inland  sea  ?  It 
could  not  be  that  over  which  they  had  been  already  carried  ? 
No.  The  wind  was  now  blowing  more  steadily  ;  and  could 
it  not  have  shifted  ?  Even  if  it  had,  they  had  not  returned 
through  the  archipelago  of  tree-top  islands.  They  were  in 
another  opening  of  the  Gapo.  Munday  was  of  this  opinion, 
and  that  was  proof  sufficient  to  satisfy  his  companions.  As 
we  have  said,  the  returning  day  did  little  to  restore  the  con- 
fidence of  the  galatea's  crew.  The  tornado  still  continued. 
Despite  the  sunlit  sky,  the  storm  showed  no  signs  of  abating; 
and  the  crazy  craft  gave  tongue  in  every  timber  of  her  frail 
frame.  The  sounds  were  ominous  to  the  ears  of  those  who 
listened  to  them.  It  was  too  evident,  that,  unless  there 
should  soon  come  a  lull,  the  galatea  would  go  to  the  bot- 
tom. She  had  not  been  constructed  to  stand  a  strain  like 
that  to  which  she  had  been  thus  unexpectedly  exposed,  and 
an  anchorage  either  to  terra  Jirma  or  the  tree-tops  would 
soon  become  necessary  to  her  salvation.  Her  crew,  con- 
vinced of  this,  were  one  and  all  upon  the  lookout,  scanning 
the  horizon  as  closely  as  the  crested  billows  would  admit. 
The  Mundurucu  had  mounted  to  the  top  of  the  mast,  where, 
with  one  of  the  monkeys  that  had  perched  itself  on  his 
shoulders,  he  clung  with  the  tenacity  of  despair.  All  at 
once  he  was  heard  to  cry  out,  the  monkey  mocking  him  in 
mimic  tone. 

u  What  is  it,  Munday  ?  What  do  you  see  ?  "  were  the  in- 
quiries that  reached  him  from  below. 

"  Land,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

"  Land ! "  went  up  the  echo  from  half  a  score  of  joyous 
voices. 

"Maybe  not  land,  —  I  mean  the  terra  Jirma,"  pursued  the 
observer,  in  a  less  confident  tone.  "  It  may  be  only  the 
top  of  a  thick  forest  like  what  we  tried  to  penetrate  yes- 


36 


AFLOAT   IN   Till:  FOREST. 


terday.  Whatever  it  is,  patron,  it  seems  along  the  whole 
edge  of  the  sky.  We  are  drifting  towards  it,  straight  as  the 
wind  can  carry  us." 


"  Thank  God  !  "  exclaimed  Trevannion,  "  anything  is  bet- 
ter than  this.  If  we  can  get  once  more  among  the  tree-tops, 
we  shall  at  least  be  saved  from  drowning.  Thank  God, 
children.     We  shall  be  preserved  !  " 

The  Indian  descended  from  the  mast,  close  followed  by 
the  monkey,  whose  serio-comic  countenance  seemed  to  say 
that  he  too  was  satisfied  by  the  observation  just  made.     Still 


THE   GALATEA  TREED.  37 

careering  madly  onward  before  the  tempest,  the  boat  soon 
brought  the  tree-tops  within  view,  and,  after  a  brief  debate, 
the  conclusion  was  reached  that  it  was  only  a  submerged 
forest.  But  even  this  was  better  than  buffeting  about  on 
the  open  billows,  —  every  moment  in  danger  of  being 
-swamped ;  and  with  a  universal  feeling  of  joy  our  adven- 
turers perceived  that  their  craft  was  drifting  toward  that 
dark  line.  They  were  powerless  to  control  her  course. 
Her  rudder  had  been  unshipped  during  the  night,  and  they 
could  trust  only  to  the  tempest  still  raging  to  carry  them  to 
the  confines  of  the  forest.  In  full  hope  that  this  would  be 
the  result,  they  took  no  measures  either  to  promote  or  frus- 
trate the  steering  of  the  storm. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE    GALATEA    TREED. 

TOSSED  by  the  tempest,  the  galatea  preserved  her 
course  towards  the  tree-tops,  thus  keeping  up  the 
spirits  and  confidence  of  her  crew.  Despite  some  divergen- 
ces caused  by  an  occasional  contrary  gust  of  wind,  she  kept 
an  onward  course,  in  due  time  arriving  within  such  distance 
of  the  forest,  that  it  was  no  longer  doubtful  about  her  drift- 
ing among  the  trees.  In  this  there  was  a  prospect  of  tempo- 
rary safety  at  the  least,  and  our  adventurers  had  begun 
to  congratulate  themselves  on  the  proximity  of  the  event. 
Just  then,  a  gigantic  tree  —  it  must  have  been  gigantic  to 
stand  so  high  over  its  fellows,  though  it  could  scarce  be  fifty 
feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water  —  presented  itself  to  their 
eyes.  It  stood  solitary  and  alone,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and  as  much  nearer  to  the 


38  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

craft,  still  struggling  through  the  wind-lashed  water.  Like 
that  in  the  top  of  which  they  had  first  gone  aground,  it  was 
a  Bapucaya,  —  as  testified  hy  the  huge  pericarps  conspicuously 
suspended  from  its  branches.  High  as  may  have  been  the 
inundation,  its  stem  rose  still  higher,  by  at  least  ten  feet ;  but 
half-way  between  the  water's  surface  and  the  branches,  the 
colossal  trunk  forked  in  twain, —  each  of  the  twin  scions 
appearing  a  trunk  of  itself.  Through  the  fork  was  the  wa- 
ter washing  at  each  heave  of  the  agitated  Gapo,  —  the 
waves  with  foaming  crests  mounting  far  up  towards  the  top 
of  the  tree,  as  if  aspiring  to  pluck  the  ripe  fruit  depending 
from  its  branches. 

Towards  this  tree  the  galatea  was  now  going  as  straight 
as  if  she  had  been  steered  by  the  finger  of  Destiny  itself. 
There  was  no  other  power  to  control  her,  —  at  least  none 
that  was  human.  The  wind,  or  destiny,  —  one  of  the  two,  — 
must  determine  her  fate.  The  waves  perhaps  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  it ;  since  the  next  that  followed  lifted  the 
galatea  upon  its  curling  crest,  and  lodged  her  in  the  sapu- 
caya  in  such  a  fashion  that  her  keel,  just  amidships,  rested 
within  the  forking  of  the  twin  stems. 

"  Thank  God  ! "  exclaimed  her  owner,  "  we  are  safe  now. 
Moored  between  two  stanchions  like  these,  neither  the  winds 
of  heaven  nor  the  waves  of  the  great  ocean  itself  could  pre- 
vail against  us.  Make  fast  there  !  Make  fast  to  the  limbs 
of  the  tree  !  Tie  her  on  both  sides.  These  are  no  twigs  to 
be  snapped  asunder.     Hurrah  !  we  are  anchored  at  last !  " 

The  gigantic  stems  of  the  sapucaya,  rising  on  both  sides 
above  the  beam  ends  of  the  galatea,  looked  like  the  sup- 
porters of  a  graving-dock.  It  is  true  the  craft  still  floated 
upon  the  bosom  of  a  troubled  water;  but  what  of  that? 
Once  made  fast  to  the  tree,  she  could  not  be  carried  farther ; 
therefore  was  she  secure  against  wind  and  wave.  The  tor- 
nado might  continue,  but  no  longer  to  be  a  terror  to  the 
crew.     These,  partly  relieved  from  their  fears,  hastened  to 


A  DANGEROUS  DUCKING.  39 

obey  the  master's  commands.  Hopes  were  grasped,  and, 
with  hands  still  trembling,  were  looped  around  the  stems  of 
the  sapucaya.  All  at  once  action  was  suspended  by  a  loud 
crash,  which  was  followed  by  a  cry  that  issued  simultane- 
ously from  the  lips  of  all  the  crew ;  who,  before  its  echoes 
could  die  away  among  the  branches  of  the  sapucaya,  had 
become  separated  into  two  distinct  groups ! 

The  crash  had  been  caused  by  the  parting  of  the  galatea's 
keel,  which,  resting  in  the  fork  of  the  tree,  had  broken 
amidships,  on  the  subsidence  of  the  wave  that  had  heaved 
her  into  this  peculiar  position.  For  a  few  seconds  the  two 
sections  of  the  partly  dissevered  craft  hung  balanced  between 
the  air  and  the  water,  the  fore-deck  with  its  stores  balancing 
the  quarter  with  its  toldo.  But  long  before  the  beam  was 
kicked,  the  occupants  of  both  had  forsaken  them,  and  were 
to  be  seen,  some  of  them  clinging  to  the  branches  of  the 
sapucaya,  some  struggling  beneath  against  the  storm  and  the 
current  of  the  Gapo.  By  noble  devotion  on  the  part  of 
those  who  could  swim,  the  whole  crew  were  placed  beyond 
the  reach  of  the  waves  upon  the  branches  of  the  sapucaya, 
where,  from  their  elevated  position,  they  beheld  the  craft  that 
had  so  long  safely  carried  them  parting  in  two  and  sinking 
out  of  sight. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

A   DANGEROUS    DUCKING. 

BEFORE  the  dismembered  vessel  quite  disappeared 
under  the  storm-lashed  waves,  every  individual  of  her 
crew  had  found  a  foothold  upon  the  branches  of  the  sapu- 
caya. The  tree,  while  causing  the  wreck  of  their  vessel,  had 
saved  them  from  going  with  her  to  the  bottom  of  the  Gapo. 


40  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

For  some  time,  however,  they  were  far  from  feeling  secure. 
They  were  in  different  parts  of  the  tree,  scattered  all  over  it, 
ju.-t  as  they  had  hecn  able  to  lay  hold  of  the  limhs  and  lift 
themselves  above  the  reach  of  the  swelling  waves.  Scarce 
two  of  them  were  in  the  same  attitude.  One  stood  erect 
upon  a  branch  with  arms  around  an  upright  stem  ;  another 
sat  astride ;  a  third  lay  along  a  limb,  with  one  leg  dangling 
downwards.  The  young  Paraense  had  taken  post  upon  a 
stout  lliana,  that  threaded  through  the  branches  of  the  trees, 
and,  with  one  arm  around  this  and  the  other  encircling  the 
waist  of  his  cousin,  Rosita,  he  kept  both  the  girl  and  himself 
in  a  position  of  perfect  security.  Young  Ralph  found  footing 
on  a  large  limb,  while  his  father  stood  upon  a  still  larger  one 
immediately  below.  The  pets,  both  birds  and  beasts,  had 
distributed  themselves  in  their  affright,  and  were  seen 
perched  on  all  parts  of  the  tree. 

For  a  time  there  was  no  attempt  made' by  any  one  to 
change  his  position.  The  tornado  still  continued,  and  it  was 
just  as  much  as  any  of  them  could  do  to  keep  the  place  al- 
ready gained.  There  was  one  who  did  not  even  succeed  in 
keeping  his  place,  and  this  was  Tipperary  Tom.  The  Irish- 
man had  selected  one  of  the  lowest  limbs,  that  stretched 
horizontally  outward,  only  a  few  feet  above  the  surface  of 
the  water.  He  had  not  exactly  made  choice  of  his  perch, 
but. had  been  flung  upon  it  by  the  swelling  wave,  and,  clutch- 
ing instinctively,  had  held  fast.  The  weight  of  his  body, 
however,  had  bent  the  branch  downward,  and,  after  making 
several  fruitless  efforts  to  ascend  to  the  stem,  he  had  dis- 
covered that  the  feat  was  too  much  for  him.  There  was  no 
choice  but  to  hold  on  to  the  bent  branch  or  drop  back  into 
the  boiling  Gapo,  that  threatened  from  below  to  ingulf  him ; 
terrified  by  the  latter  alternative,  Tom  exerted  all  his 
strength,  and  held  on  with  mouth  agape  and  eyes  astare. 
Soon  the  tension  would  have  proved  too  much  for  him,  and 
he  must  have  dropped  down  into  the  water.     But  he  was 


A  DANGEROUS  DUCKING.  41 

not  permitted  to  reach  this  point  of  exhaustion.  A  wave 
similar  to  that  which  had  landed  him  on  the  limb  lifted  him 
off  again,  launching  him  out  into  the  open  water. 

A  cry  of  consternation  came  from  the  tree.  All  knew  that 
Tipperary  Tom  was  no  swimmer ;  and  with  this  knowledge 
they  expected  to  see  him  sink  like  a  stone.  He  did  go 
down,  and  was  for  some  moments  lost  to  view ;  but  his  carrot- 
Colored  head  once  more  made  its  appearance  above  the 
surface,  and,  guided  by  his  loud  cries,  his  situation  was 
easily  discovered.  He  could  only  sink  a  second  time  to  rise 
no  more.  Sad  were  the  anticipations  of  his  companions,  — 
all  except  one,  who  had  made  up  his  mind  that  Tipperary 
Tom  was  not  yet  to  die.  This  was  the  Mundurucu,  who 
at  the  moment  was  seen  precipitating  himself  from  the  tree, 
and  then  swimming  out  in  the  direction  of  the  drowning 
man.  In  less  than  a  score  of  seconds  he  was  in  the  clutch 
of  the  Indian,  who  grasping  him  with  one  hand,  with  the 
other  struck  out  for  the  tree. 

By  good  fortune  the  swell  that  had  swept  Tipperary  from 
his  perch,  or  one  wonderfully  like  it,  came  balancing  back  to- 
wards the  sapucaya,  bearing  both  Indian  and  Irishman  upon 
its  crest,  landing  them  in  the  great  fork  where  the  galatea 
had  gone  to  pieces,  and  then  retiring  without  them !  It 
seemed  a  piece  of  sheer  good  fortune,  though  no  doubt  it  was 
a  destiny  more  than  half  directed  by  the  arm  of  the  Indian, 
whose  broad  palm  appeared  to  propel  them  through  the 
water  with  the  power  of  a  paddle. 

To  whatever  indebted,  chance  or  the  prowess  of  the  Mun- 
durucii,  certain  it  is  that  Tipperary  Tom  was  rescued  from  a 
watery  grave  in  the  Gapo ;  and  on  seeing  him  along  with 
his  preserver  safe  in  the  fork  of  the  tree,  a  general  shout  of 
congratulation,  in  which  even  the  animals  took  part,  pealed 
up  through  the  branches,  loud  enough  to  bo  heard  above  the 
swishing  of  the  leaves,  the  whistling  of  the  wind,  and  the 
surging  of  the  angry  waters,  that  seemed  to  hiss  spitefully 
at  being  disappointed  of  their  prey. 


42  AFLOAT   IN   THE  FOREST. 

Tom's  senses  Lad  become  somewhat  confused  by  the  duck- 
ing. Not  so  rnucb,  however,  as  to  hinder  him  from  perceiv- 
ing that  in  the  fork,  where  the  wave  had  deposited  him  and 
his  preserver,  he  was  still  within  reach  of  the  swelling  wa- 
ters ;  seeing  this,  he  was  not  slow  to  follow  the  example  of 
the  Mundurucu,  who,  "  swarming  "  up  the  stem  of  the  tree, 
placed  himself  in  a  safe  and  more  elevated  position. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A    CONSULTATION   IN   THE   TEEE-TOP. 

IT  would  scarce  be  possible  to  conceive  a  situation  more 
forlorn  than  that  of  the  castaway  crew  of  the  galatea. 
Seated,  standing,  or  astride  upon  the  limbs  of  the  sapucaya, 
their  position  was  painful,  and  far  from  secure.  The  tem- 
pest continued,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  they  could  keep 
their  places,  every  gust  threatening  to  blow  them  out  of  the 
tree-top.  Each  clung  to  some  convenient  bough ;  and  thus 
only  were  they  enabled  to  maintain  their  balance.  The 
branches,  swept  by  the  furious  storm,  creaked  and  crackled 
around  them,  —  bending  as  if  about  to  break  under  their  feet, 
or  in  the  hands  that  apprehensively  grasped  them.  Some- 
times a  huge  pericarp,  big  as  a  cannon-ball,  filled  with  heavy 
fruits,  was  detached  from  the  pendulous  peduncles,  and  went 
swizzing  diagonally  through  the  air  before  the  wind,  threat- 
ening a  cracked  crown  to  any  who  should  be  struck  by 
it.  One  of  the  castaways  met  with  this  bit  of  ill-luck, — 
Mozey  the  Mozambique.  It  was  well,  however,  that  he 
was  thus  distinguished,  since  no  other  skull  but  his  could 
have  withstood  the  shock.  As  it  was,  the  ball  rebounded 
from  the  close  woolly  fleece  that  covered  the  negro's  crown, 


A   CONSULTATION  IN  THE  TBEE-TOP.  43 

as  from  a  cushion,  causing  him  no  further  trouble  than  a 
considerable  fright.  Mozey's  looks  and  exclamations  were 
ludicrous  enough,  had  his  companions  been  inclined  for 
laughter.  But  they  were  not ;  their  situation  was  too  serious, 
and  all  remained  silent,  fully  occupied  in  clinging  to  the  tree, 
and  moodily  contemplating  the  scene  of  cheerless  desolation 
that  surrounded  them. 

Till  now,  no  one  had  speculated  on  anything  beyond  im- 
mediate safety.  To  escape  drowning  had  been  sufficient  for 
their  thoughts,  and  engrossed  them  for  more  than  an  hour 
after  the  galatea  had  gone  down.  Then  a  change  began  to 
creep  over  their  spirits,  —  brought  about  by  one  observable 
in  the  spirit  of  the  storm.  It  was,  you  remember,  one  of 
those  tropical  tempests,  that  spring  up  with  unexpected  celer- 
ity, and  fall  with  equal  abruptness.  Now  the  tempest  began 
to  show  signs  of  having  spent  itself.  The  tornado  —  a  spe- 
cies of  cyclone,  usually  of  limited  extent  —  had  passed  on,  car- 
rying destruction  to  some  other  part  of  the  great  Amazonian 
plain.  The  wind  lulled  into  short,  powerless  puffs,  and  the 
comparatively  shallow  waters  of  the  Gapo  soon  ceased  to 
swell.  By  this  time  noon  had  come,  and  the  sun  looked 
down  from  a  zenith  of  cloudless  blue,  upon  an  expanse  of 
water  no  more  disturbed,  and  on  branches  no  longer  agitated 
by  the  stormy  wind. 

This  transformation,  sudden  and  benign,  exerted  an  in- 
fluence on  the  minds  of  our  adventurers  perched  upon  the 
sapucaya.  No  longer  in  immediate  danger,  their  thoughts 
naturally  turned  to  the  future  ;  and  they  began  to  speculate 
upon  a  plan  for  extricating  themselves  from  their  unfortunate 
dilemma. 

On  all  sides  save  one,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  scan,  nothing 
could  be  seen  but  open  water,  —  the  horizon  not  even  broken 
by  the  branch  of  a  tree.  On  the  excepted  side  trees  were  vis- 
ible, not  in  clumps,  or  standing  solitary,  but  in  a  continuous 
grove,  with  here  and  there  some  taller  ones  rising  many  feet 


44  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

above  their  fellows.  There  could  be  no  doubt  that  it  was  a 
forest.  It  would  have  gratified  them  to  have  believed  it  a 
thicket,  for  then  would  they  have  been  within  sight  and  reach 
of  land.  But  they  could  not  think  so  consistently  with  their 
experience.  It  resembled  too  exactly  that  to  which  they  had 
tied  the  galatea  on  the  eve  of  the  tempest,  and  they  conjec- 
tured that  what  they  saw  was  but  the  "  spray "  of  a  forest 
submerged.  For  all  that,  the  design  of  reaching  it  as  soon 
as  the  waters  were  calm  was  first  in  their  minds. 

This  was  not  so  easy  as  might  be  supposed.  Although  the 
border  of  the  verdant  peninsula  was  scarce  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  distant,  there  were  but  two  in  the  party  who  could  swim 
across  to  it.  Had  there  existed  the  materials  for  making  a  raft, 
their  anxiety  need  not  have  lasted  long.  But  nothing  of  the 
kind  was  within  reach.  The  branches  of  the  sapneaya,  even 
if  they  could  be  broken  off,  were  too  heavy,  in  their  green 
growing  state,  to  do  more  than  to  buoy  up  their  own  ponder- 
ous weight.  So  a  sapucaya  raft  was  not  to  be  thought  of,  al- 
though it  was  possible  that,  among  the  tree-tops  which  they 
were  planning  to  reach,  dead  timber  might  be  found  sufficient 
to  construct  one.  But  this  could  be  determined  only  after  a 
reconnoissance  of  the  submerged  forest  by  Richard  Trevan- 
nion  and  the  Mundurucii,  who  alone  could  make  it. 

To  this  the  patron  hardly  consented,  —  indeed,  he  was  not 
asked.  There  seemed  to  be  a  tacit  understanding  that  it 
was  the  only  course  that  could  be  adopted ;  and  without  fur- 
ther ado,  the  young  Paraense,  throwing  off  such  of  his  gar- 
ments as  might  impede  him,  sprang  from  the  tree,  and  struck 
boldly  out  for  the  flooded  forest.  The  Mundurucii,  not  being 
delayed  by  the  necessity  of  stripping,  had  already  taken  to 
the  water,  and  was  fast  cleaving  his  way  across  the  open 
expanse  that  separated  the  solitary  sapucaya  from  its  more 
social  companions. 


A  FRACAS  HEARD  FROM  AFAR.  45 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

A  FRACAS  HEAED  FROM  AFAR. 

THE  castaways  watched  the  explorers  until  they  disap- 
peared within  the  shadowy  selvage.  Then,  having 
nothing  else  to  do,  they  proceeded  to  make  themselves  as 
comfortable  as  circumstances  would  permit,  by  selecting  for 
their  seats  the  softest  branches  of  the  sapucaya.  To  be  sure 
there  was  not  much  choice  between  the  limbs,  but  the  great 
fork,  across  which  the  galatea  had  broken,  appeared  to  offer 
a  position  rather  better  than  any  other.  As  the  swell  was 
no  longer  to  be  dreaded,  Trevannion  descended  into  the  fork, 
taking  little  Rosa  along  with  him,  while  the  others  sat  on 
higher  limbs,  holding  by  the  branches  or  stout  llianas  grow- 
ing above  them.  At  best  their  situation  was  irksome,  but 
physical  inconvenience  was  hardly  felt  in  their  mental  suffer- 
ings. Their  reflections  could  not  be  other  than  painful  as 
they  contemplated  the  future.  Their  shelter  in  the  sapu- 
caya could  be  only  temporary,  and  yet  it  might  continue  to 
the  end  of  their  lives.  They  had  no  assurance  that  they 
might  be  able  to  get  out  of  it  at  all ;  and  even  if  they  should 
succeed  in  reaching  the  other  trees,  it  might  be  only  to  find 
them  forty  feet  deep  in  water.  The  prospect  was  deplor- 
able  and  their   forebodings  gloomy. 

For  nearly  an  hour  they  exchanged  no  word.  The  only 
sound  heard  was  an  occasional  scream  from  one  of  the  pet 
birds,  or  the  jabbering  of  the  monkeys,  of  which  there  had 
been  five  or  six,  of  different  kinds,  on  the  galatea.  Two  only 
had  found  refuge  on  the  tree,  —  a  beautiful  little  Ouistiti, 
and  a  larger  one,  of  the  genus  Ateles,  the  black  Coaita.  The 
others,  chained  or  otherwise  confined,  had  gone  down  with 
the  galatea.  So,  too,  with  the  feathered  favorites,  of  many 
rare  and  beautiful  kinds,  collected  during  the  long  voyage  on 


4G  AFLOAT  IN  THE   FOREST. 

the  Upper  Amazon,  some  of  which  had  heen  hought  at  large 
prices  from  their  Indian  owners,  to  carry  across  the  Atlantic. 
The  caged  had  perished  with  the  wreck,  others  by  the  tornado, 
and,  like  the  quadrumana,  only  two  of  the  birds  had  found 
an  asylum  on  the  tree.  One  was  a  splendid  hyacinthine  ma- 
caw, the  Araruna  of  the  Indians  (Macrocercus  hyacinthinus)  ; 
the  other  a  small  paroquet,  the  very  tiniest  of  its  tribe,  which 
had  long  divided  with  the  little  ouistiti  the  affections  of  Rosa. 

About  an  hour  had  elapsed  since  the  departure  of  the  swim- 
ming scouts,  with  no  signs  of  their  return.  The  party  cast 
anxious  glances  towards  the  place  where  they  had  last  been 
seen,  listening  for  any  sounds  from  the  thicket  that  concealed 
them.  Once  or  twice  they  fancied  they  heard  their  voices, 
and  then  they  were  all  sure  they  heard  shouts,  but  mingling 
with  some  mysterious  sounds  in  a  loud,  confused  chorus. 
The  coaita  heard,  and  chattered  in  reply ;  so,  too,  did  the 
ouistiti  and  paroquet ;  but  the  macaw  seemed  most  disturbed, 
and  once  or  twice,  spreading  its  hyacinthine  wings,  rose  into 
the  air,  and  appeared  determined  to  part  from  its  ci-devant 
protectors.  The  call  of  Ralph,  whose  especial  pet  it  was,  al- 
lured it  back  to  its  perch,  where,  however,  it  only  stayed  in  a 
state  of  screaming  uncertainty.  There  was  something  strange 
in  this  behavior,  though  in  the  anxiety  of  the  hour  but  little 
heed  was  paid  to  it ;  and  as  the  voices  soon  after  ceased,  the 
araruna  became  tranquillized,  and  sat  quietly  on  the  roost  it 
had  selected. 

Once  more,  however,  the  shouting  and  strange  cries  came 
pealing  across  the  water,  and  again  the  araruna  gave  evidence 
of  excitement.  This  time  the  noise  was  of  shorter  duration, 
and  soon  terminated  in  complete  tranquillity.  Nearly  two 
hours  had  now  expired,  and  the  countenances  of  all  began 
to  wear  an  expression  of  the  most  sombre  character.  Cer- 
tainly they  had  heard  the  voices  of  Richard  and  the  Mundu- 
rucu  mingling  with  those  unearthly  sounds.  There  was  time 
enough  for  them  to  have  gone  far  into  the  unknown  forest, 


THE  JARARACA.  47 

and  return.  What  could  detain  them?  Their  voices  had 
been  heard  only  in  shouts  and  sharp  exclamations,  that  pro- 
claimed them  to  be  in  some  critical,  perhaps  perilous  situation. 
And  now  they  were  silent !  Had  they  succumbed  to  some 
sad  fate  ?      "Were  they  dead  ? 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE    JARARACA. 

THERE  are  bodily  sensations  stronger  than  many  mental 
emotions.  Such  are  hunger  and  thirst.  The  castaways 
in  the  tree-top  began  to  experience  both  in  an  extreme  degree. 
By  good  fortune,  the  means  of  satisfying  them  were  within 
reach.  With  a  "  monkey-cup  "  emptied  of  its  triangular  ker- 
nels they  could  draw  up  water  at  will,  and  with  its  contents  con- 
quer the  cravings  of  hunger.  At  his  father's  request,  and  stim- 
ulated by  his  own  sensations,  Ralph  began  climbing  higher, 
to  procure  some  of  the  huge  fruit-capsules  suspended  —  as  is 
the  case  with  most  South  American  forest-trees  —  from  the 
extremities  of  the  branches.  The  boy  was  a  bold  and  skilful 
climber  among  the  crags  and  cliffs  of  his  native  Cordilleras. 
Still  a  tree  did  not  come  amiss  to  him,  and  in  a  twinkling  he 
had  ascended  to  the  top  branches  of  the  sapucaya,  the  macaw 
making  the  ascent  with  him,  perched  upon  his  crown.  All 
at  once  the  bird  began  to  scream,  as  if  startled  by  some  ter- 
rible apparition  ;  and  without  losing  an  instant,  it  forsook  its 
familiar  place,  and  commenced  fluttering  around  the  top  of 
the  tree,  still  continuing  its  cries.  What  could  be  the  cause? 
The  boy  looked  above  and  about  him,  but  could  discover  noth- 
ing. The  screams  of  the  araruna  were  instantly  answered 
by  the  little  paroquet  in  a  tiny  treble,  but  equally  in  accents 


48  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

of  terror,  while  both  the  coaita  and  ouistiti,  chattering  in 
alarm,  came  bounding  up  tlie  tree.  The  paroquet  had  already 
joined  the  macaw,  and,  as  if  in  imitation  of  its  great  con- 
gener, flew  fluttering  among  the  top  branches,  in  a  state  of 
the  wildest  excitement!  Guided  by  the  birds,  that  kept  cir- 
cling around  one  particular  spot,  the  boy  at  length  discovered 
the  cause  of  the  alarm ;  and  the  sight  was  one  calculated  to 
stir  terror. 

It  was  a  serpent  coiled  around  a  lliana  that  stretched  diag- 
onally between  two  branches.  It  was  of  a  yellowish-brown 
color,  near  to  that  of  the  lliana  itself;  and  but  for  its  smooth, 
shining  skin,  and  the  elegant  convolutions  of  its  body,  might 
have  been  mistaken  for  one  parasite  entwining  another.  Its 
head,  however,  was  in  motion,  its  long  neck  stretched  out,  ap- 
parently in  readiness  to  seize  upon  one  of  the  birds  as  soon 
as  it  should  come  within  striking  distance. 

Ralph  was  not  so  much  alarmed.  A  snake  was  no  uncom- 
mon sight,  and  the  one  in  question  was  not  so  monstrous  as 
to  appear  very  formidable.  The  first  thought  was  to  call  off 
the  birds,  or  in  some  way  get  them  out  of  reach  of  the  snake ; 
for  the  imprudent  creatures,  instead  of  retreating  from  such  a 
dangerous  enemy,  seemed  determined  to  fling  themselves  up- 
on its  fangs,  which  Ralph  could  see  erect  and  glistening,  as 
at  intervals  it  extended  its  jaws.  The  little  paroquet  was 
especially  imprudent,  recklessly  approaching  within  a  few 
inches  of  the  serpent,  and  even  alighting  on  the  lliana  around 
which  it  had  warped  itself.  Ralph  was  ascending  still  higher, 
to  take  the  bird  in  his  hand,  and  carry  it  clear  of  the  danger, 
when  his  climbing  was  suddenly  arrested  by  a  shout  from 
Mozey,  the  Mozambique,  that  proclaimed  both  caution  and 
terror.  "  Fo'  you  life  doant,  Mass'r  Raff !  "  cried  the  negro, 
following  up  his  exclamation  of  warning.  ''  Fo'  you  life 
doant  go  near  um !  You  no  know  what  am  dat  ar  snake  ? 
It  am  de  Jarardca  !  " 

"  Jararaca !  "  mechanically  rejoined  Ralph. 


THE  JARARACA.  49 

"  Ya  —  ya  —  de  moas  pisenous  sarpin  in  all  de  valley  ob 
de  Amazon.  I  'se  hear  de  Injine  say  so  a  score  ob  times. 
Come  down,  Mass'r !  come  down ! " 

Attracted  by  the  screaming  of  the  birds  and  the  chattering 
of  the  monkeys,  the  others  listened  attentively  below.  But 
upon  the  negro's  quick  cry  of  warning,  and  the  dialogue  that 
ensued,  Trevannion  ascended  higher,  followed  .by  Tipperary 
Tom,  —  Rosa  remained  alone  below,  in  the  fork  where  her 
father  had  left  her.  Trevannion,  on  coming  in  sight  of  the 
snake,  at  once  recognized  it  as  all  that  Mozey  had  alleged,  — 
the  most  poisonous  of  the  Amazon  valley, ' —  a  species  of 
Cr'aspedocephalus.  He  knew  it  from  having  seen  one  before, 
which  the  Mundurucu  bad  killed  near  Coary,  and  had  de- 
scribed in  similar  terms,  —  adding  that  its  bite  was  almost 
instantly  fatal,  that  it  will  attack  man  or  beast  without  any 
provocation,  that  it  can  spring  upon  its  enemy  from  a  dis- 
tance, and,  finally,  that  it  was  more  feared  than  any  other 
creature  in  the  country,  not  excepting  the  jaguar  and  ja- 
care ! 

The  appearance  of  the  reptile  itself  was  sufficient  to  con- 
firm this  account.  Its  flat  triangular  head,  connected  with 
the  body  by  a  long  thin  neck,  its  glittering  eyes  and  red  fork- 
ing tongue,  projected  at  intervals  more  than  an  inch  beyond 
its  snout,  gave  the  creature  a  monstrous  and  hideous  aspect. 
It  looked  as  if  specially  designed  to  cause  death  and  destruc- 
tion. It  was  not  of  great  size,  —  scarcely  six  feet  long,  and 
not  thicker  than  a  girl's  wrist ;  but  it  needed  not  bulk  to  make 
it  dangerous.  No  one  knew  exactly  what  to  do.  All  were 
without  arms,  or  weapons  of  any  kind.  These  had  long  since 
gone  to  the  bottom  of  the  Gapo ;  and  for  some  minutes  no 
movement  was  made  except  by  young  Ralph,  who  on  being 
warned  of  his  danger,  had  hastened  to  descend  the  tree.  The 
birds  were  left  to  themselves,  and  still  continued  screaming 
and  fluttering  above.  Up  to  this  time  the  snake  had  re- 
mained motionless,  except  his  oscillating  head  and  neck.     Its 

4  D 


50  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

body  now  began  to  move,  and  the  glittering  folds  slowly  to 
relax  their  hold  upon  the  lliana. 

"  Great  God  !  he  is  coming  down  the  tree  !  "  The  words 
had  hardly  left  Trevannion's  lips  before  the  snake  was  seen 
crawling  along  the  lliana,  and  the  next  moment  transferring 
its  body  to  a  branch  which  grew  slantingly  from  the  main 
trunk.  This,  was  soon  reached ;  and  then,  by  means  of 
another  lliana  lying  parallel  to  it,  the  reptile  continued  its 
descent.  All  those  who  stood  by  the  trunk  hastily  forsook 
the  perilous  place,  and  retreated  outward  along  the  branches. 
The  jararaca  seemed  to  take  no  note  either  of  their  presence 
or  flight,  but  continued  down  the  limb  towards  the  fork  of 
the  main  stem,  where  stood  little  Rosa.  "  O  heavens ! " 
cried  Trevannion,  in  a  voice  of  anguish,  "  my  child  is  lost ! " 

The  girl  had  risen  to  her  feet,  being  already  fearful  of  the 
danger  threatening  her  friends  above ;  but  on  looking  up, 
she  beheld  the  hideous  reptile  coming  straight  towards  her. 
Her  situation  was  most  perilous.  The  lliana  by  which  the 
snake  was  descending  rose  right  up  from  the  fork  of  the  sapu- 
caya.  The  child  was  even  clasping  it  in  her  hand,  to  keep 
herself  erect.  The  reptile  could  not  pass  without  touching 
her.  In  fact,  it  must  pass  over  her  person  to  get  down  from 
the  tree.  There  was  no  likelihood  of  its  gliding  on  without 
striking  her.  Its  well-known  character  —  as  the  most  mali- 
cious of  venomous  serpents  —  forbade  the  supposition.  The 
snake  was  scarpe  ten  feet  above  her  head,  still  gliding  on- 
ward and  downward !  It  was  at  this  crisis  that  her  father 
had  given  voice  to  that  despairing  exclamation.  He  was 
about  to  scramble  down  to  the  trunk,  with  the  design  of 
launching  himself  upon  the  serpent,  and  grappling  it  with 
his  naked  hands,  reckless  of  consequences,  when  a  sign  from 
Mozey,  accompanied  by  some  words  quickly  spoken,  caused 
him  to  hesitate. 

"  No  use,  Mass'r  !  "  cried  the  negro,  "  no  use,  —  you  be 
too  late.     Jump,  lilly  Rosy ! "  he  continued,  calling  to  the 


HOLD   ON!  51 

child  in  a  loud,  commanding  tvoice.  "  It  's  you  only  chance. 
Jump  into  de  water,  an  ole  Mozey  he  come  down  sabe  you. 
Jump !  "  To  stimulate  the  child  by  his  example,  the  negro, 
with  his  last  word,  sprang  out  from  his  branch  and  plunged 
into  the  water.  In  an  instant  he  was  upon  the  surface 
again,  continuing  his  cries  of  encouragement.  Rosa  Trevan- 
nion  was  a  girl  of  spirit ;  and,  in  this  fearful  alternative,  hesi- 
tated not  a  moment  to  obey.  Short  as  was  the  time,  how- 
ever, it  would  have  proved  too  long  had  the  snake  continued 
its  descent  without  interruption.  Fortunately  it  did  not. 
When  its  hideous  head  was  close  to  the  child's  hand,  where 
the  latter  grasped  the  lliana,  it  suddenly  stopped,  —  not  to 
prepare  itself  for  the  fatal  dart,  but  because  the  negro's 
heavy  fall  had  splashed  much  water  against  the  tree,  sprink- 
ling child  and  jararaca  too.  It  was  the  momentary  surprise 
of  this  unexpected  shower-bath  that  had  checked  the  serpent, 
while  Rosa  dropped  down  into  the  Gapo,  and  was  caught  by 
her  sable  preserver. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

HOLD    ON ! 

MOZEY'S  noble  conduct  elicited  a  cry  of  admiration. 
It  was  the  more  noble  as  the  negro  was  a  poor  swim- 
mer, and  therefore  risked  his  own  life.  But  this  produced 
another  effect,  and  in  the  shout  there  was  no  tone  of  triumph. 
The  child  was  perhaps  only  rescued  from  the  reptile  to  be 
swallowed  with  her  preserver  by  a  monster  far  more  vora- 
cious, the  ingulfing  Gapo.  Nor  was  it  yet  certain  that  she 
had  been  saved  from  the  serpent.  The  jararaca  is  a  snake 
eminently  amphibious,  alike  at  home  on  land  or  at  sea.  It 
might  follow,  and  attack  them  in  the  water.     Then,  too,  it 


52  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

would  have  «i  double  advantage ;  for  while  it  could  swim 
like  a  fish,  Mozey  could  just  keep  himself  afloat,  weighted  as 
he  was  with  his  powerless  burden.  In  view  of  this,  Trevan- 
nion's  heart  was  filled  with  most  painful  anxiety,  and  for 
some  time  neither  he  nor  any  beside  him  could  think  what 
course  to  pursue.  It  was  some  slight  relief  to  them  to  per- 
ceive that  the  snake  did  not  continue  the  pursuit  into  the 
water ;  for  on  reaching  the  fork  of  the  tree  it  had  thrown  it- 
self into  a  coil,  as  if  determined  to  remain  there. 

At  first  there  appeared  no  great  advantage  in  this.  In  its 
position,  the  monster  could  prevent  the  swimmers  from  re- 
turning to  the  tree ;  and  as  it  craned  its  long  neck  outward, 
and  looked  maliciously  at  the  two  forms  struggling  below, 
one  could  have  fancied  that  it  had  set  itself  to  carry  out  this 
exact  design.  For  a  short  time  only  Trevannion  was  speech- 
less, and  then  thought,  speech,  and  action  came  together. 
"  Swim  round  to  the  other  side ! "  he  shouted  to  the  negro. 
"  Get  under  the  great  branch.  Ho,  Tom  !  You  and  Ralph 
climb  aloft  to  the  one  above.  Tear  off"  the  lliana  you  see 
there,  and  let  it  down  to  me.     Quick,  quick  ! " 

As  he  delivered  these  instructions,  he  moved  out  along 
the  limb  with  as  much  rapidity  as  was  consistent  with  safety, 
while  Tipperary  and  Ralph  climbed  up  to  carry  out  his  com- 
mands. The  branch  taken  by  Trevannion  himself  was  that 
to  which  he  had  directed  the  negro  to  swim,  and  was  the 
same  by  which  Tipperary  Tom  had  made  his  first  ascent  into 
the  tree,  and  from  which  he  had  been  washed  off  again.  It 
extended  horizontally  outward,  at  its  extremity  dipping 
slightly  towards  the  water.  Though  in  the  swell  caused  by 
the  tornado  it  had  been  at  intervals  submerged,  it  was  now 
too  far  above  the  surface  to  have  been  grasped  by  any  one 
from  below.  The  weight  of  Trevannion's  body,  as  he  crept 
outward  upon  it,  brought  it  nearer  to  the  water,  but  not  near 
enough  for  a  swimmer  to  lay  hold.  He  saw  that,  by  going 
too  far  out,  the  branch  would  not  bear  his  own  weight,  and 


HOLD   ON! 


53 


might  snap  short  off,  thus  leaving  the  swimmers  in  a  worse 
position  than  ever.  It  was  for  this  reason  he  had  ordered 
the  untwining  of  the  creeper  that  was  clinging  above.  His 
orders  were  obeyed  with  the  utmost  alacrity  by  Tom  and 
Ralph,  as  if  their  own  lives  depended  on  the  speed.  Almost 
before  he  was  ready  to  receive  it,  the  long  lliana  was 
wrenched  from  its  tendril  fastenings,  and  came  straggling 
down  over  the  branch  on  which  he  sat,  like  the  stay  of  a  ship 
loo.-ened  from  her  mast-head. 

Meanwhile  Mozey,  —  making  as  much  noise  as  a  young 
whale,  blowing  like  a  porpoise,  spurting  and  spitting  like  an 
angry  cat,  —  still  carrying  the  child  safe  on  his  shoulders, 


had  arrived  under  the  limb,  and,  with  strokes  somewhat  ir- 
regularly given  and  quickly  repeated,  was  doing  his  very 
best  to  keep  himself  and  her  above  water.     It  was  evident 


54  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

to  all,  that  the  over-weighted  swimmer  was  wellnigh  ex- 
hausted ;  and  had  not  the  end  of  the  long  lliana  plumped 
down  in  the  nick  of  time,  the  Mozambique  must  indubitably 
have  gone  to  the  bottom,  taking  his  charge  with  him.  Just 
in  time,  however,  the  tree-cable  came  within  his  clutch,  and, 
seizing  it  with  all  his  remaining  strength,  Rosa  relieved  him 
of  her  weight  by  laying  hold  herself,  and  the  two  were  drawn 
up  into  the  tree  amidst  cries  of  "  Hold  on  !  hold  on  ! "  ending 
in  general  congratulation. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

THE    PAROQUET. 

LAS !  there  was  one  circumstance  that  hindered  their 
triumph  from  being  complete.  The  jaranica  was  still  in 
the  tree.  So  long  as  this  terrible  tenant  shared  their  abode, 
there  could  be  neither  confidence  nor  comfort.  There  it  lay 
coiled  upon  its  scaly  self,  snugly  ensconced  in  the  fork  below, 
with  skin  glittering  brightly,  and  eyes  gleaming  fiercely  in  the 
golden  sunlight  that  now  fell  slantingly  against  the  tree.  How 
long  would  the  monster  remain  in  this  tranquil  attitude,  was 
the  question  that  presented  itself  to  the  minds  of  all,  as  soon 
as  the  first  transport  of  their  joy  had  subsided.  It  was  evident 
it  had  no  intention  of  taking  to  the  water,  though  it  could 
have  done  so  without  fear.  No  doubt  the  sapucaya  was  its 
habitual  haunt;  and  it  was  not  likely  to  forsake  it  just  to 
accommodate  some  half-score  of  strange  creatures  who  had 
chosen  to  intrude.  Surely  some  time  or  other  it  would  re- 
ascend  the  tree,  and  then  —  ? 

"  But  all  speculations  on  this  point  were  soon  interrupted. 
The  little  paroquet,  which  had  shown  such  excitement  on  first 
discovering  the  snake,  had  been  quiet  while  all  were  engaged 


THE  PAROQUET.  55 

in  the  salvage  of  Mozey  and  the  child.  Now  that  a  certain 
quietness  had  been  restored,  the  bird  was  seen  returning  to 
the  jararaca  for  the  supposed  purpose  of  renewing  its  impo- 
tent attack.  For  some  minutes  it  kept  fluttering  over  the 
serpent,  now  alighting  upon  a  branch,  anon  springing  off 
again,  and  descending  to  one  lower  and  nearer  to  the  jararaca, 
until  it  had  almost  reached  its  head.  Strange  to  say,  there 
appeared  no  hostility  in  the  bird's  movements  ;  its  actions  be- 
trayed rather  the  semblance  of  fear,  confirmed  by  the  tremu- 
lous quivering  of  its  frame  whenever  it  came  to  rest  upon 
a  perch.  The  spectators'  suspicion  was  further  strengthened 
by  the  little  creature's  continued  cries.  It  was  not  the  angry 
chattering  by  which  these  birds  usually  convey  their  hostility, 
but  a  sort  of  plaintive  screaming  that  betokened  terror.  At 
each  flight  it  approached  closer  to  the  serpent's  forked  tongue, 
and  then  retreated,  as  if  vacillating  and  irresolute. 

The  reptile  meanwhile  exhibited  itself  in  a  hideous  attitude  ; 
yet  a  deep  interest  enchained  the  spectators.  Its  head  had 
broadened,  or  flattened  out  to  twice  the  natural  dimensions ; 
the  eyes  seemed  to  shoot  forth  twin  jets  of  fire,  while  the  ex- 
tensile tongue,  projected  from  a  double  row  of  white,  angular 
teeth,  appeared  to  shine  with  phosphorescent  flame.  The  bird 
was  being  charmed,  and  was  already  under  the  serpent's  fas- 
cination. 

How  could  the  pretty  pet  be  saved?  Young  Ralph,  no- 
ticing the  despair  upon  his  sister's  face,  was  half  inclined  to 
rush  down  the  tree,  and  give  battle  to  the  jararaca  ;  and  Tippe- 
rary  Tom — whose  general  hostility  to  snakes  and  reptiles  had  a 
national  and  hereditary  origin  —  purposed  doing  something  to 
avert  the  paroquet's  fast-approaching  fate.  Trevannion,  how- 
ever, was  too  prudent  to  permit  any  interference,  while  the 
negro  appeared  only  anxious  that  the  magic  spectacle  should 
reach  its  termination.  It  was  not  cruelty  on  his  part.  Mozey 
had  his  motives,  which  were  soon  after  revealed,  proving  that 
the  brain  of  the  African  is  at  times  capable  of  conception 


56  AFLOAT  IN   THE   FOREST. 

equal,  if  not  superior,  to  his  boasted  Caucasian  brother. 
There  was -no  interruption.  The  end  was  not  far  off.  By 
6low  degrees,  the  bird  appeared  to  grow  exhausted,  until  its 
wings  could  no  longer  sustain  it.  Then,  as  if  paralyzed  hy 
a  final  despair,  it  pitched  itself  right  into  the  mouth  of  the  rep- 
tile, whose  jaws  had  been  suddenly  extended  to  receive  it! 
There  was  a  slight  flutter  of  the  wings,  a  tremulous  motion  of 
the  body,  and  the  self-immolated  creature  appeared  to  be  dead. 
The  serpent,  half  uncoiling  itself,  turned  its  head  towards  the 
tree,  and,  once  more  opening  its  jaws,  permitted  the  now  life- 
less paroquet  to  escape  from  their  clasp,  and  drop  quietly  into 
the  crotch  formed  by  the  forking  of  the  stem. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    LLIANA    UNLOOSED. 

THE  spectators  of  this  little  tragedy  of  animal  life  had  hith- 
erto prudently  refrained  from  taking  part  in  it.  Curiosity 
now  exerted  an  equal  effect  in  preventing  their  interference ; 
and  without  speech  or  motion  they  sat  on  their  respective 
perches  to  observe  the  finale  of  the  drama,  which  evidently 
had  not  ended  with  the  death  of  the  paroquet.  That  was 
but  the  beginning  of  the  end,  for  the  prey  was  yet  to  be  de- 
voured. Though  provided  with  a  double  row  of  teeth,  it  is 
well  known  that  animals  of  the  reptile  kind  do  not  masticate 
their  food.  These  teeth,  set  trenchantly,  as  is  commonly  the 
case,  are  intended  only  to  capture  the  living  prey,  which  enters . 
the  stomach  afterwards  by  a  process  termed  deglutition.  At 
the  spectacle  of  just  such  a  process,  with  all  its  preliminary 
preparations,  were  the  group  in  the  sapucaya  now  to  be  pres- 
ent, —  the  principal  performer  being  apparently  unconscious 
of,  or  at  all  events  unconcerned  at,  their  presence. 


THE  LLIANA  UNLOOSED.  57 

Having  deposited  the  dead  bird  in  the  fork  of  the  tree,  the 
serpent  changed  its  coiled  attitude  into  one  that  would  give 
it  a  chance  of  filling  its  belly  with  less  inconvenience.  There 
was  not  room  for  it  to  extend  itself  fully ;  and,  in  default  of 
this,  the  tail  was  allowed  to  drop  down  along  the  stem 
of  the  tree,  at  least  two  thirds  of  the  body  remaining  in  a 
horizontal  position.  Having  arranged  itself  apparently  to 
its  satisfaction,  it  now  directed  its  attention  to  the  paroquet. 
Once  more  taking  the  dead  bird  between  its  teeth,  it  turned 
it  over  and  over  until  the  head  lay  opposite  to  its  own,  the 
body  aligned  in  a  longitudinal  direction.  The  jawS  of  the 
snake  were  now  widely  extended,  while  the  tongue,  loaded 
with  saliva,  was  protruded  and .  retracted  with  great  rapidity. 
The  serpent  continued  this  licking  process  until  the  short 
feathers  covering  the  head  of  the  bird,  as  also  its  neck  and 
shoulders,  seemed  to  be  saturated  with  a  substance  resem- 
bling soap  or  starch.  When  a  sufficient  coating  had  been 
laid  on  to  satisfy  the  instincts  of  the  serpent,  the  creature 
once  more  opened  its  jaws,  and,  making  a  sudden  gulp,  took 
in  the  head  of  the  paroquet,  with  the  neck  and  shoulders. 
For  a  time  no  further  action  was  perceptible.  Yet  a  move- 
ment was  going  on  :  and  it  was  to  assure  himself  of  this  that 
the  Mozambique  was  so  attentive. 

We  have  said  that  he  had  a  motive  for  permitting  the  pet 
to  be  sacrificed,  which  was  now  on  the  eve  of  being  revealed 
to  his  companions.  They  all  saw  that  there  was  something 
upon  his  mind,  and  eagerly  anticipated  the  revelation.  Just 
as  the  jararaca  had  succeeded  in  bolting  the  anterior  portion 
of  the  paroquet,  —  that  is,  the  head,  neck,  and  shoulders, — 
Mozey  rose  from  his  seat,  stole  towards  the  stem  of  the  tree, 
and  let  himself  down  toward  the  fork,  without  saying  a  word. 
His  purpose,  however,  was  manifest  the  moment  after,  for  he 
stretched  out  his  right  hand,  clutched  the  jararaca  around 
the  small  of  the  neck,  and  flung  the  serpent  —  no  longer 
capable  of  defending  itself — far  out  into  the  waters  of  the 
3* 


58  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

G-apo !  The  monster,  with  its  feathered  morsel  still  in  its 
mouth,  sank  instantly,  to  be  seen  no  more  ;  so  thought  Mozey 
and  his  associates  in  the  sapucaya. 

But,  as  the  event  proved,  they  had  hastened  to  an  errone- 
ous conclusion.  Scarce  had  their  triumphant  cheer  echoed 
across  the  silent  bosom  of  the  Gapo,  when  the  paroquet  was 
observed  floating  upon  the  water ;  and  the  snake,  having 
ejected  the  half-swallowed  pill,  was  once  more  upon  the  sur- 
face, swimming  with  sinuous  but  brisk  rendings  of  its  body 
in  rapid  return  to  the  tree.  The  situation  seemed  more 
alarming  than  ever.  The  fiend  himself  could  hardly  have 
shown  a  more  implacable  determination. 

To  all  appearance  the  jaranica  was  now  returning  to  take 
revenge  for  the  insult  and  disappointment  to  which  it  had 
been  subjected.  Mozey,  losing  confidence  in  his  own  cun- 
ning, retreated  up  the  tree.  He  perceived,  now  that  it  was 
too  late,  the  imprudence  of  which  he  had  been  guilty.  He 
should  have  permitted  the  snake  to  proceed  a  step  further 
in  the  process  of  deglutition,  until  the  disgorging  of  the  paro- 
quet, against  the  grain  of  its  feathers,  should  have  become 
impossible.  He  had  been  too  hasty,  and  must  now  answer 
the  consequences.  Sure  enough,  the  serpent  returned  to  the 
sapucaya  and  commenced  reascending,  availing  itself  of  the 
lliana,  by  which  all  of  its  enemies  had  effected  their  ascent. 
In  a  few  seconds  it  had  mounted  into  the  fork,  and,  still  ad- 
hering to  the  parasite,  was  continuing  its  upward  way. 

"  O  heavens ! "  ejaculated  Trevannion,  "  one  of  us  must 
become  the  prey  of  this  pitiless  monster !  What  can  be 
done  to  destroy  it  ?  " 

"  Dar  's  a  chance  yet,  Mass'r,"  cried  Mozey,  who  had  sud- 
denly conceived  a  splendid  thought.  "  Dar  's  a  chance  yet. 
All  ob  you  lay  hold  on  de  creepin'  vine,  an'  pull  um  out  from 
de  tree.  We  chuck  de  varmint  back  into  the  water.  Now 
den,  —  all  togedder !     Pull  like  good  uns ! " 

As  the  negro  spoke,  he  seized  the  lliana,  by  which  the  ser- 


THE  LLIANA   UNLOOSED.  59 

pent  was  making  its  spiral  ascent,  and  put  out  all  his  strength 
to  detach  it  from  the  trunk  of  the  sapucaya.  The  others  in- 
stantly understood  his  design,  and  grasping  the  parasite,  with 
a  simultaneous  effort  tried  to  tear  it  off.  A  quick  jerk  broke 
the  lliana  loose ;  and  the  jararaca,  shaken  from  its  hold,  was 
sent  whirling  and  writhing  through  the  air,  till  it  fell  with  a 
plunging  noise  upon  the  water  below.  Once  more  a  trium- 
phant cheer  went  up  through  the  sapucaya  branches,  once 
more  to  be  stifled  ere  it  had  received  the  answer  of  its  own 
echoes  ;  for  the  jararaca  was  again  seen  upon  the  surface,  as 
before,  determinedly  approaching  the  tree. 

It  was  a  sight  for  despair.  There  was  something  super- 
natural in  the  behavior  of  the  snake.  It  was  a  monster  not 
to  be  conquered  by  human  strength,  nor  circumvented  by 
human  cunning.  Was  there  any  use  in  continuing  the  at- 
tempt to  subdue  it?  Mozey,  a  fatalist,  felt  half  disposed  to 
submit  to  a  destiny  that  could  not  be  averted ;  and  even  Tip- 
perary  Tom  began  to  despair  of  the  power  of  his  prayers  to 
St.  Patrick.  The  ex-miner,  however,  as  well  acquainted 
with  the  subterraneous  regions  as  with  upper  earth,  had  no 
superstition  to  hinder  him  from  action,  and,  instead  of  de- 
sponding he  at  once  adopted  the  proper  course.  Catching 
hold  of  the  creeper,  that  had  already  been  loosened  from  the 
trunk,  and  calling  upon  the  others  to  assist  him,  he  tore  the 
creeper  entirely  from  the  tree,  flinging  its  severed  stem  far 
out  upon  the  water.  In  a  moment  after,  the  snake  came  up, 
intending  to  climb  into  the  sapucaya,  as  no  doubt  it  had  often 
done  before.  We  wonder  what  were  its  feelings  on  finding 
that  the  ladder  had  been  removed,  and  that  an  ascent  of  the 
smooth  trunk  of  the  sapucaya  was  no  longer  possible,  even 
to  a  tree  snake  !  After  swimming  round  and  round,  and 
trying  a  variety  of  places,  the  discomfited  jararaca  turned 
away  in  apparent  disgust ;  and,  launching  out  on  the  bosom 
of  the  Gapo,  swam  off  in  the  direction  of  the  thicket,  —  on 
the  identical  track  that  had  been  taken  by  Richard  and  the 
Mundurucu. 


60  AFLOAT  IN   TEE   FOREST. 

CHAPTER   XIX. 

SERPENT   FASCINATION. 

IT  was  some  time  before  Trevannion  and  his  companions  in 
misfortune  could  recover  from  the  excitement  and  awe 
of  their  adventure.  They  began  to  believe  that  the  strange 
tales  told  them  of  the  Gapo  and  its  denizens  had  more  than  a 
substratum  of  truth ;  for  the  protracted  and  implacable  hos- 
tility shown  by  the  snake,  and  its  mysterious  power  over  the 
bird,  seemed  surely  supernatural.  Trevannion  reflected  on 
the  singular  behavior  of  the  jararaca.  That  a  reptile  of  such 
contemptible  dimensions  should  exhibit  so  much  cunning  aud 
courage  as  to  return  to  the  attack  after  being  repeatedly  foiled, 
and  by  an  enemy  so  far  its  superior  in  strength  and  numbers, 
together  with  its  hideous  aspect,  could  not  fail  to  impress  him 
with  a  feeling  akin  to  horror,  in  which  all  those  around  him 
shared.  The  very  monkeys  and  birds  must  have  felt  it ;  for 
when  in  the  f>resence  of  snakes,  they  had  never  before  ex- 
hibited such  trepidation  and  excitement.  Long  after  the  ser- 
pent had  been  pitched  for  the  second  time  into  the  water,  the 
coaita  kept  up  its  terrified  gibbering,  the  macaw  screamed, 
and  the  tiny  ouistiti,  returning  to  Rosa's  protection,  —  no  lon- 
ger to  be  shared  with  its  late  rival,  —  sat  trembling  in  her 
lap,  as  if  the  dreaded  reptile  were  still  within  dangerous  prox- 
imity. 

This  feeling  was  but  temporary,*  however.  Trevannion 
was  a  man  of  strong  intellect,  trained  and  cultivated  by  ex- 
perience and  education ;  and  after  a  rational  review  of  the 
circumstances,  he  became  convinced  that  there  was  nothing 
very  extraordinary,  certainly  nothing  supernatural,  in  what 
transph'ed.  The  jararaca  —  as  he  had  heard,  and  as  every- 
body living  on  the  Amazon  knew  —  was  one  of  the  most 
venomous  of  serpents,  if  not  the  most  venomous  of  all.     Even 


SERPENT   FASCINATION.  61 

the  birds  and  beasts  were  acquainted  with  this  common  fact, 
and  dreaded  the  reptile  accordingly,  not  from  mere  instinct, 
but  from  actual  knowledge  possessed  and  communicated  in 
some  mysterious  way  to  one  another.  This  would  account 
for  the  wild  terror  just  exhibited,  which  in  the  case  of  the 
paroquet  had  come  to  a  fatal  end.  There  was  a  mystery  about 
this  for  which  Trevannion  could  not  account.  The  power 
which  the  serpent  appeared  to  have  obtained  over  the  bird, 
controlling  its  movements  without  any  apparent  action  of  its 
own,  was  beyond  comprehension.  Whether  or  not  it  be  en- 
titled to  the  name  given  it, — fascination,  certainly  it  is  a 
fact,  —  one  that  has  been  repeatedly  observed,  and  to  which 
not  only  birds,  but  quadrupeds,  have  been  the  victims;  and 
not  only  by  ordinary  observers,  but  by  men  skilled  in  the 
knowledge  of  nature,  who  have  been  equally  at  a  loss  to  ac- 
count for  it  by  natural  causes.  But  this  link  in  the  chain  of 
incidents,  though  mysterious,  was  not  new  nor  peculiar  to  this 
situation.  It  had  been  known  to  occur  in  all  countries  and 
climes,  and  so  soon  ceased  to  excite  any  weird  influence  on 
the  mind  of  Trevannion. 

For  the  other  circumstances  that  had  occurred  there  was 
an  explanation  still  more  natural.  The  jararaca,  peculiarly 
an  inhabitant  of  the  Gapo  lands,  had  simply  been  sunning 
itself  upon  the  sapucaya.  It  may  have  been  prowling  about 
in  the  water  when  overtaken  by  the  tornado  ;  and,  not  wish- 
ing to  be  carried  away  from  its  haunt,  had  sought  a  temporary 
shelter  in  the  tree,  to  which  an  unlucky  chance  had  guided 
the  galatea.  Its  descent  was  due  to  the  behavior  of  the  birds  ; 
which,  after  having  for  a  time  tantalized  it,  —  provoking  its 
spite,  and  in  all  likelihood  its  hungry  appetite,  —  had  tempo- 
rarily suspended  their  attack,  returning  down  the  tree  with 
Ralph  and  the  negro.  It  was  in  pursuit  of  them,  therefore, 
it  had  forsaken  its  original  perch.  The  commotion  caused 
by  its  descent,  but  more  especially  the  ducking  it  had  received, 
and  the  presence  of  the  two  human  forms  in  the  water  below, 


62  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

had  incki  ^d  it  to  halt  in  the  forking  of  the  tree,  where  shortly 
after  its  natural  prey  again  presented  itself,  —  ending  in  an 
episode  that  was  to  it  an  ordinary  occurrence.  The  choking 
it  had  received  in  the  hands  of  the  negro,  and  its  unexpected 
immersion,  had  caused  the  involuntary  rejection  of  the  half- 
swallowed  morsel.  In  the  opaque  water  it  had  lost  sight  of 
the  hird,  and  was  returning  to  the  sapucaya  either  in  search 
of  its  food,  or  to  reoccupy  its  resting-place. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  jararaca  has  no  fear  of  man,  hut 
will  attack  him  whenever  he  intrudes  upon  its  domain.  The 
Indians  assert  that  it  will  even  go  out  of  its  way  for  this  pur- 
pose, unlike  the  rattlesnake  and  other  venomous  reptiles, 
which  rarely  exert  their  dangerous  power  except  in  self- 
defence.  So  this  jararaea  reascended  the  sapucaya  un- 
dismayed by  the  human  enemies  it  saw  there,  one  or  more 
of  whom  might  have  become  its  victims  but  for  the  timely 
removal  of  the  lliana  ladder. 

On  this  review  of  facts  and  fancies,  the  equanimity  of  our 
adventurers  was  nearly  restored.  At  all  events,  they  were 
relieved  from  the  horrible  thoughts  of  the  supernatural,  that 
for  a  time  held  ascendancy  over  them.  Their  hunger  and 
thirst  again  manifested  themselves,  though  little  Rosa  and 
her  preserver  no  longer  suffered  from  the  last.  In  their 
short  excursion  both  had  been  repeatedly  under  water,  and 
had  swallowed  enough  to  last  them  for  that  day  at  least.  Yet 
they  were  in  want  of  food,  and  Ralph  once  more  climbed  the 
tree  to  obtain  it.  He  soon  possessed  himself  of  half  a  dozen 
of  the  huge  nut  capsules,  which  were  tossed  into  the  hands  of 
those  below,  and,  water  being  drawn  up  in  one  of  the  emptied 
shells,  a  meal  was  made,  which  if  not  hearty,  was  satisfactory. 
The  group  could  do  no  more  than  await  the  return  of  their 
absent  companions  ;  and  with  eyes  fixed  intently  and  anx- 
iously upon  the  dark  water,  and. beneath  the  close-growing 
trees,  they  watched  for  the  first  ripple  that  might  betoken 
their  coming. 


THE  WATER  ARCADE.  63 

CHAPTER  XX. 

THE    "WATER    ARCADE. 

WE  must  leave  for  a  time  the  castaways  in  the  tree-top, 
and  follow  the  fortunes  of  the  two  swimmers  on  their 
exploring  expedition. 

On  reaching  the  edge  of  the  submerged  forest,  their  first 
thought  was  to  clutch  the  nearest  branch,  and  rest  themselves 
by  clinging  to  it.  They  were  no  longer  in  doubt  as  to  the 
character  of  the  scene  that  surrounded  them,  for  their  expe- 
rience enabled  them  to  comprehend  it, 

"  The  Gapo  !  "  muttered  Munday,  as  they  glided  in  under 
the  shadows.  "  No  dry  land  here,  young  master,"  he  added, 
clutching  hold  of  a  lljana.  "  We  may  as  well  look  out  for  a 
roost,  and  rest  ourselves.  It  's  full  ten  fathoms  deep.  The 
Mundurucii  can  tell  that  by  the  sort  of  trees  rising  over  it." 

"  I  did  n't  expect  anything  else,"  rejoined  young  Trevan- 
nion,  imitating  his  companion  by  taking  hold  of  a  branch  and 
climbing  up.  "  My  only  hope  is  that  we  may  find  some  float 
timber  to  ferry  the  others  across.  Not  that  there  's  much  in 
it  if  we  do.  How  we  're  to  find  our  way  out  of  this  mess  is 
more  than  either  you  or  I  can  tell." 

"The  Mundurucii  never  despairs,  —  not  even  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  Gapo,"  was  the  Indian's  proud  reply. 

"  You  have  hope,  then  ?  You  think  we  shall  find  timber 
enough  for  a  raft  to  carry  us  clear  of  the  inundation." 

"  No  !  "  answered  the  Indian.  "  We  have  got  too  far  from 
the  channel  of  the  big  river.  We  shall  see  no  floating  trees 
here,  —  nothing  to  make  a  raft  that  would  carry  us." 

"  Why  then  did  we  come  here,  if  not  for  the  purpose  of 
finding  dead  timber  for  that  object?" 

"  Dead  timber  ?  No !  If  that  was  our  errand,  we  might 
go  back  as  we  've  come,  —  empty-handed.     We  shall  float 


64  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

all  the  people  over  here  without  that.  Follow  me,  young 
master.  We  must  go  farther  into  the  Gapo.  Let  old  Mun- 
day  show  you  how  to  construct  a  raft  without  trees,  only 
making  use  of  their  fruit." 

"  Lead  on  !  "  cried  the  Paraense.  "  I  'm  ready  to  assist 
you ;  though  I  have  n't  the  slightest  conception  of  what  you 
mean  to  do." 

"  You  shall  see  presently,  young  master,"  rejoined  Munday, 
once  more  spreading  himself  to  swim.  "  Come  on  !  follow 
me !  If  I  'm  not  mistaken,  we  '11  soon  find  the  materials  for 
a  raft,  —  or  something  that  will  answer  as  well  for  the 
present.  Come  along,  there  !  Come  ! "  —  and  he  launched 
himself  into  the  water.  ■ 

Trevannion  followed  his  example,  and,  once  more  consign- 
ing himself  to  the  flood,  he  swam  on  in  the  Indian's  wake. 
Through  aisles  dimmed  with  a  twilight  like  that  of  approach- 
ing night,  along  arcades  covered  with  foliage  so  luxuriant  as 
to  be  scarce  penetrable  by  the  rays  of  a  tropic  sun,  the  two 
swimmers,  the  Indian  ever  in  advance,  held  their  way. 

To  Richard  Trevannion  the  Mundurucu  was  compara- 
tively a  stranger,  known  only  as  a  tapuyo  employed  by  his 
uncle  in  the  management  of  the  galatea.  He  knew  the  tribe 
by  rumors  even  more  than  sinister.  They  were  reputed  in 
Para  to  be  the  most  bloodthirsty  of  savages,  who  took  de- 
light not  only  in  the  destruction  of  their  enemies,  but  in  keep- 
ing up  a  ghastly  souvenir  of  hostility  by  preserving  their 
heads.  In  the  company  of  a  Muudurucii,  especially  in  such 
a  place,  —  swimming  under  the  sombre  shadows  of  a  sub- 
merged forest,  —  it  can  scarce  be  wondered  at  that  the  youth 
felt  suspicion,  if  not  actual  fear.  But  Kicfcard  Trevannion 
was  a  boy  of  bold  heart,  and  bravely  awaited  the  denouement 
of  the  dismal  journey. 

Their  swim  terminated  at  length,  and  the  Indian,  pointing 
to  a  tree,  cried  out :  "  Yonder  —  yonder  is  the  very  thing  of 
which  I  was  in  search.     Hoohoo !     Covered  with  sipos  too, 


THE   WATER  ARCADE.  G5 

—  another  thing  we  stand  in  need  of,  —  cord  and  pitch  both 
growing  together.  The  Great  Spirit  is  kind  to  us,  young 
master." 

"What  is  it?"  demanded  Richard.  "I  see  a  great  tree, 
loaded  with  climbers  as  you  say.  But  what  of  that  ?  It  is 
green,  and  growing.  The  wood  is  full  of  sap,  and  would 
scarce  float  itself;  you  can't  construct  a  raft  out  of  that. 
The  sipos  might  serve  well  enough  for  rope ;  but  the  tim- 
ber won't  do,  even  if  we  had  an  axe  to  cut  it  down." 

"  The  Mundurucu  needs  no  axe,  nor  yet  timber  to  con- 
struct his  raft.  All  he  wants  here  is  the  sap  of  that  tree,  and 
some  of  the  sipos  clinging  to  its  branches.  The  timber  we 
shall  find  on  the  sapucaya,  after  we  go  back.  Look  at  the 
tree,  young  master !     Do  you  not  know  it  ?  " 

The  Paraense,  thus  appealed  to,  turned  his  eyes  toward 
the  tree,  and  scanned  it  more  carefully.  Festooned  by  many 
kinds  of  climbing  plants,  it  was  not  so  easy  to  distinguish  its 
foliage  from  that  of  the  parasites  it  upheld;  enough  of  the 
leaves,  however,  appeared  conspicuous  to  enable  him  to  rec- 
ognize the  tree  as  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  valuable 
to  the  inhabitants,  not  only  of  his  native  Para,  but  of  all  the 
Amazonian  region,  "  Certainly,"  he  replied,  "  I  see  what 
sort  of  tree  it  is.  It 's  the  Seringa,  —  the  tree  from  which 
they  obtain  caoutchouc.  But  what  do  you  want  with  that  ? 
You  can't  make  a  raft  out  of  India-rubber,  can  you  ?  " 

"  You  shall  see,  young  master ;  you  shall  see  ! " 

During  this  conversation  the  Mundurucu  had  mounted 
among  the  branches  of  the  seringa,  calling  upon  his  compan- 
ion to  come  after  him,  who  hastily  responded  to  the  call. 


66  AFLOAT   IN   THE  FOREST. 

CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE    SYRINGE-TREE. 

rinilE  tree  into  whose  top  the  swimmers  had  ascended  was, 
1  as  Richard  had  rightly  stated,  that  from  which  the  caout- 
chouc, or  India-ruhber,  is  obtained.  It  was  the  Siphonia  elas- 
tica,  of  the  order  Euphorbiacece,  of  the  Amazonian  valley. 
Not  that  the  Siphonia  is  the  only  tree  which  produces  the 
world-renowned  substance,  which  has  of  late  years  effected 
almost  a  revolution  in  many  arts,  manufactures,  and  domestic 
economies  of  civilized  life.  There  are  numerous  other  trees, 
both  in  the  Old  and  New  World,  most  of  them  belonging  to 
the  famed  family  of  the  figs,  which  in  some  degree  afford.the 
caoutchouc  of  commerce.  Of  all,  however,  that  yielded  by 
the  Siphonia  elastica  is  the  best,  and  commands  the  highest 
price  among  dealers.  The  young  Paraense  called  it  Seringa, 
and  this  is  the  name  he  had  been  accustomed  to  hear  given 
to  it.  Seringa  is  simply  the  Portuguese  for  syringe,  and  the 
name  has  attached  itself  to  the  tree,  because  the  use  which 
the  aborigines  were  first  observed  to  make  of  the  elastic 
tubes  of  the  caoutchouc  was  that  of  squirts  or  syringes,  the 
idea  being  suggested  by  their  noticing  the  natural  tubes 
formed  by  the  sap  around  twigs,  when  flowing  spontaneously 
from  the  tree.  For  syringes  it  is  employed  extensively  to 
this  day  by  Brazilians  of  all  classes,  who  construct  them  by 
moulding  the  sap,  while  in  its  fluid  state,  into  pear-shaped 
bottles,  and  inserting  a  piece  of  cane  in  the  long  neck. 

The  caoutchouc  is  collected  in  the  simplest  way,  which  af- 
fords a  regular  business  to  many  Amazonians,  chiefly  native 
Indians,  who  dispose  of  it  to  the  Portuguese  or  Brazilian 
traders.  The  time  is  in  August,  when  the  subsidence  of  the 
annual  inundation  permits  approach  to  the  trees ;  for  the 
Seringa  is  one  of  those  species  that  prefer  the  low  flooded 


THE   SYRIXGE-TREE.  G7 

lands,  though  it  is  not  altogether  peculiar  to  the  Gapo.  It 
grows  throughout  the  whole  region  of  the  Amazon,  wherever 
the  soil  is  alluvial  and  marshy.  The  India-rubber  harvest, 
if  we  may  use  the  term,  continues  throughout  the  dry  months, 
during  which  time  very  large  quantities  of  the  sap  are  col- 
lected, and  carried  over  to  the  export  market  of  Para.  A 
number  of  trees  growing  within  a  prescribed  circle  are  al- 
lotted to  each  individual,  whose  business  it  is  —  man,  woman, 
or  boy  —  to  attend  to  the  assigned  set  of  trees;  and  this  is 
the  routine  of  their  day's  duty. 

In  the  evening  the  trees  are  tapped ;  that  is,  a  gash  or 
incision  is  made  in  the  bark,  —  each  evening  in  a  fresh  place, 
—  and  under  each  is  carefully  placed  a  little  clay  cup,  or 
else  the  shell  of  tin  Ampullasia,  to  catch  the  milky  sap  that 
oozes  from  the  wound.  After  sunrise  in  the  morning,  the 
"  milkers  "  again  revisit  the  scene  of  operations,  and  empty 
all  the  cups  into  a  large  vessel,  which  is  carried  to  one  com- 
mon receptacle.  By  this  time  the  sap,  which  is  still  of  a 
white  color,  is  of  the  consistency  of  cream,  and  ready  for 
moulding.  The  collectors  have  already  provided  themselves, 
wiih  moulds  of  many  kinds,  according  to  the  shape  they  wish 
the  caoutchouc  to  assume,  such  as  shoes,  round  balls,  bottles 
with  long  necks,  and  the  like.  These  are  dipped  into  the 
liquid,  a  thin  stratum  of  which  adheres  to  them,  to  be  made 
thicker  by  repeated  immersions,  until  the  proper  dimensions 
are  obtained.  After  the  last  coat  has  been  laid  on,  lines  and 
ornamental  tracings  are  made  upon  the  surface,  while  still 
in  a  soft  state  ;  and  a  rich  brown  color  is  obtained  by  passing 
the  articles  repeatedly  through  a  thick  black  smoke,  given 
out  by  a  fire  of  palm-wood,  —  several  species  of  these  trees 
being  specially  employed  for  this  purpose.  As  the  moulds 
are  usually  solid  substances,  and  the  shoes,  balls,  and  bottles 
are  cast  on,  and  not  in  them,  it  may  be  wondered  how  the 
latter  can  be  taken  off,  or  the  former  got  out.  King  George 
would  have  been  as  badly  puzzled   about  this,  as   Iiq  was 


68  AFLOAT  IN  THE   FOREST. 

in  regard  to  the  apples  in  the  pudding.  The  idea  of  the 
Amazonian  aboriginal,  though  far  more  ingenious,  is  equally 
easy  of  explanation.  His  bottle-moulds  are  no  better  than 
balls  of  dried  mud,  or  clay ;  and  so  too,  the  lasts  upon  which 
he  fashions  the  India-rubber  shoes.  Half  an  hour's  immer- 
sion in  water  is  sufficient  to  restore  them  to  their  original 
condition  of  soft  mud ;  when  a  little  scraping  and  washing 
completes  the  manufacture,  and  leaves  the  commodity  in 
readiness  for  the  merchant  and  the  market. 

The  Seringa  is  not  a  tree  of  very  distinguished  appearance, 
and  but  for  its  valuable  sap  might  be  passed  in  a  forest  of 
Amazonia,  where  so  many  magnificent  trees  meet  the  eye, 
without  eliciting  a  remark.  Both  in  the  color  of  its  bark  and 
the  outline  of  its  leaves  it  bears  a  considerable  resemblance  to 
the  European  ash,  —  only  that  it  grows  to  a  far  greater  size, 
and  with  a  stem  that  is  branchless,  often  to  the  height  of 
thirty  or  forty  feet  above  the  ground.  The  trunk  of  that  on 
which  the  Mundurucii  and  his  companion  had  climbed  was 
under  water  to  that  depth,  else  they  could  not  so  easily  have 
ascended.  It  was  growing  in  its  favorite  situation,  —  the 
Gapo,  —  its  top  festooned,  as  we  have  said,  with  scores  of 
parasitical  plants,  of  many  different  species,  forming  a  com- 
plete labyrinth  of  limbs,  leaves,  fruits,  and  flowers. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A    BATTLE    WITH    BIRDS. 

CARCE  had  the  Paraense  succeeded  in  establishing 
himself  on  the  tree,  when  an  exclamation  from  his 
companion,  higher  up  among  the  branches,  caused  him  to 
look  aloft.  "  Hoo-hoo ! "  was  the  cry  that  came  from  the 
lips  of  the  Mundurucii,  in  a  tone  of  gratification. 


A  BATTLE  WITH  BIRDS.  69 

"What  is  it,  Munday?" 

"  Something  good  to  eat,  master  ?  " 

"  I  'm  glad  to  hear  it.  I  .feel  hungry  enough  in  all  con- 
science ;  and  these  sapucaya  nuts  don't  quite  satisfy  me. 
I  'd  like  a  little  fish  or  flesh  meat  along  with  them." 

"  It  's  neither,"  rejoined  the  Indian.  "  Something  as  good, 
though.     It  's  fowl !     I  've  found  an  arara's  nest." 

"  O,  a  macaw !  But  where  is  the  bird  ?  You  have  n't 
caught  it  yet  ?  " 

"  Have  n't  I  ? "  responded  the  Mundurucii,  plunging  his 
arm  elbow-deep  into  a  cavity  in  the  tree-trunk ;  and  drag- 
ging forth  a  half-fledged  bird,  nearly  as  big  as  a  chicken. 
"  Ah,  a  nest !  young  ones  !     Fat  as  butter  too  ! " 

"All  right.  We  must  take  them  back  with  us.  Our 
friends  in  the  sapucaya  are  hungry  as  we,  and  will  be  right 
glad  to  see  such  an  addition  to  the  larder." 

But  Richard's  reply  was  unheard ;  for,  from  the  moment 
that  the  Mundurucu  had  pulled  the  young  macaw  out  of 
its  nest,  the  creature  set  up  such  a  screaming  and  flopping 
of  its  half-fledged  wings,  as  to  fill  all  the  woods  around. 
The  discordant  ululation  was  taken  up  and  repeated  by  a 
companion  within  the  cavity ;  and  then,  to  the  astonishment 
of  the  twain,  half  a  score  of  similar  screaming  voices  were 
heard  issuing  from  different  places  higher  up  in  the  tree, 
where  it  was  evident  there  were  several  other  cavities,  each 
containing  a  nest  full  of  young  araras. 

"  A  regular  breeding-place,  a  macaw-cot,"  cried  Richard, 
laughing  as  he  spoke.  "  We  '11  get  squabs  enough  to  keep 
us  all  for  a  week  !  " 

The  words  had  scarce  passed  his  lips,  when  a  loud  clangor 
reverberated  upon  the  air.  It  was  a  confused  mixture  of 
noises,  —  a  screaming  and  chattering,  —  that  bore  some  re- 
semblance to  the  human  voice ;  as  if  half  a  score  of  Punches 
were  quarrelling  with  as  many  Judys  at  the  same  time. 
The  sounds,  when  first  heard,  were  at  some  distance  ;  but 


70  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

before  twenty  could  have  been  counted,  they  were  uttered 
close  to  the  ears  of  the  Mundurucu,  who  was  highest  up, 
while  the  sun  became  partially  obscured  hy  the  outspread 
wings  of  a  score  of  great  birds,  hovering  in  hurried  'flight 
around  the  top  of  the  seringa.  There  was  no  mystery 
about  the  matter.  The  new-comers  were  the  parents  of 
the  young  macaws  —  the  owners  of  the  nests  —  returning 
from  a  search  for  provender  for  their  pets,  whose  piercing 
cries  had  summoned  them  in  all  haste  to  their  home.  As 
yet,  neither  the  Indian  nor  his  young  companion  conceived 
any  cause  for  alarm.  Foolish  indeed  to  be  frightened  by 
a  flock  of  birds  !  They  were  not  allowed  to  indulge  long 
in  this  comfortable  equanimity ;  for,  almost  on  the  moment 
of  their  arrival  above  the  tree,  the  united  parentage  of  araras 
plunged  down  among  the  branches,  and,  with  wing,  beak, 
and  talons,  began  an  instant  and  simultaneous  attack  upon 
the  intruders.  The  Indian  was  the  first  to  receive  their  onset. 
Made  in  such  a  united  and  irresistible  manner,  it  had  the 
effect  of  causing  him  to  let  go  the  chick,  which  fell  with  a 
plunge  into  the  water  below.  In  its  descent  it  was  accompa- 
nied by  half  a  dozen  of  the  other  birds,  —  its  own  parents, 
perhaps,  and  their  more  immediate  friends,  —  and  these,  for 
the  first  time  espying  a  second  enemy  farther  down,  directed 
their  attack  upon  him.  The  force  of  the  assailants  was  thus 
divided  ;  the  larger  number  continued  their  onslaught  upon 
the  Indian,  though  the  young  Paraense  at  the  same  time 
found  his  hands  quite  full  enough  in  defending  himself,  con- 
sidering that  he  carried  nothing  in  the  shape  of  a  weapon, 
and  that  his  body,  like  that  of  his  comrade,  was  altogether 
unprotected  by  vestments.  To  be  sure,  the  Mundurucu  was 
armed  with  a  sharp  knife,  which  he  had  brought  along  with 
him  in  his  girdle  ;  but  this  was  of  very  little  use  against  his 
winged  enemies  ;  and  although  he  succeeded  in  striking  down 
one  or  two  of  them,  it  was  done  rather  by  a  blow  of  the  fist 
than  by  the  blade. 


A  CONTEST   WITH   CUDGELS.  71 

In  a  dozen  seconds  both  had  received  almost  as  many 
scratches  from  the  beaks  and  talons  of  the  birds,  which  still 
continued  the  combat  with  a  fury  that  showed  no  signs  of  re- 
laxation or  abatement.  The  Paraense  did  not  stay  either  to 
take  counsel  or  imitate  the  example  of  his  more  sage  compan- 
ion, but,  hastily  bending  down  upon  the  limb  whereon  he  had 
been  maintaining  the  unequal  contest,  he  plunged  headfore- 
most into  the  water.  Of  course  a  "  header "  from  such  a 
height  carried  him  under  the  surface ;  and  his  assailants,  for 
the  moment  missing  him,  flew  back  into  the  tree-top,  and 
joined  in  the  assault  on  Muuday.  The  latter,  who  had  by  this 
become  rather  sick  of  the  contest,  thinking  of  no  better  plan, 
followed  his  comrade's  example.  Hastily  he  flung  himself 
into  the  flood,  and,  first  diving  below  the  surface,  came  up 
beside  the  Paraense,  and  the  two  swam  away  side  by  side  in 
silence,  each  leaving  behind  him  a  tiny  string  of  red  ;  for  the 
blood  was  flowing  freely  from  the  scratches  received  in  their 
strange  encounter. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

A    CONTEST   WITH    CUDGELS. 

OUR  discomfited  adventurers  did  not  swim  far  from  the 
seringa,  for  the  birds  did  not  follow  them.  Satisfied 
with  seeing  the  burglars  fairly  beyond  the  boundaries  of  their 
domicile,  the  tenants  of  the  tree  returned  to  their  nests,  as  if 
to  ascertain  what  amount  of  damage  had  been  done.  In  a 
short  time  the  commotion  had  almost  subsided,  though  there 
was  heard  an  occasional  scream,  —  the  wail  of  the  bereaved 
parents  ;  for  the  helpless  squab,  after  struggling  awhile  on  the 
surface  of  the  water,  had  gone  suddenly  out  of  sight.     There 


72  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

was  no  danger,  therefore,  of  further  molestation  from  their 
late  assailants,  so  long  as  they  should  be  left  in  quiet  posses- 
sion of  the  seringa,  and  therefore  there  was  no  further  neces- 
sity for  the  two  swimmers  to  retreat.  A  new  intention  had 
shaped  itself  in  Munday's  mind  by  this  time,  and  he  expressed 
his  determination  to  return,  to  the  surprise  of  the  youth,  who 
asked  his  purpose. 

"Partly  the  purpose  for  which  we  first  climbed  it,  and 
partly,"  added  he,  with  an  angry  roll  of  his  almond-shaped 
eyes,  "  to  obtain  revenge.  A  Mundurucu  is  not  to  be  bled 
in  this  fashion,  even  by  birds,  without  drawing  blood  in  return. 
I  don't  go  out  from  this  igardpe  till  I  've  killed  every  arara, 
old  as  well  as  young,  in  that  accursed  tree,  or  chased  the 
last  of  them  out  of  it.     Follow,  and  I'll  show  you  how." 

The  Indian  turned  his  face  towards  the  thicket  of  tree-tops 
forming  one  side  of  the  water-arcade,  and  with  a  stroke  or 
two  brought  himself  within  reach  of  some  hanging  parasites, 
and  climbed  up,  bidding  Richard  follow.  Once  more  they 
were  shut  in  among  the  tops  of  what  appeared  to  be  a  gigan- 
tic mimosa.  "  It  will  do,"  muttered  the  Mundurucu  drawing 
his  knife  and  cutting  a  stout  branch,  which  he  soon  converted 
into  a  cudgel  of  about  two  feet  in  length.  This  he  handed 
to  his  companion,  and  then,  selecting  a  second  branch  of  still 
stouter  proportions,  fashioned  a  similar  club  for  himself. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  after  having  pruned  the  sticks  to  his  sat- 
isfaction, "  we  're  both  armed,  and  ready  to  give  battle  to  the 
araras,  with  a  better  chance  of  coming  off  victorious.  Let 
us  lose  no  time.  We  have  other  work  to  occupy  us,  and 
your  friends  will  be  impatient  for  our  return."  Saying  this, 
he  let  himself  down  into  the  water,  and  turned  towards  the 
seringa.  His  protege  made  no  protest,  but  followed  instantly 
after.  Tightly  clutching  their  cudgels,  both  reaseended  the 
seringa,  and  renewed  the  battle  with  the  birds.  The  num- 
bers were  even  more  unequal  than  before  ;  but  this  time  the 
advantage  was  on  the  side  of  the  intruders. 


A   CONTEST   VvTTII   CUDGELS. 


73 


Striking  with  their  dribs  of  heavy  acacia-wood,  the  birds 
fell  at  every  blow,  until  not  one  arara  fluttered  among  the  fo- 


liage. Most  of  these  had 
fallen  wounded  upon  the 
water ;  a  few  only,  seeing 
certain  destruction  before 
them,  took  flight  into  the  far 
recesses  of  the  flooded  for- 
est. The  Mundurueii,  true 
to  his  promise,  did  not  leave 
a  living  bird  upon  the  tree. 

One  after  another,  he  hauled  the  half-fledged  chicks  from  their 
nests  ;  one  after  another,  twisted  their  necks  ;  and  then,  tying 
their  legs  together  with  a  sipo,  lie  separated  the  bunch  into 
two  equally-balanced  parts,  hanging  it  over  a  limb  of  the  tree. 
'•  They  can  stay  there  till  we  come  back,  which  will  be  soon. 


74  AFLOAT  IN   THE   FOREST. 

And  now  let  us  accomplish  the  purpose  for  which  we  came 
here!"  Laying  aside  the  club  that  had  made  such  havoc 
among  the  macaws,  he  drew  the  knife  from  his  girdle.  Se- 
lecting a  spot  on  one  of  the  larger  limbs  of  the  seringa,  he 
made  an  incision  in  the  bark,  from  which  the  milky  juice 
immediately  flowed. 

lie  had  made  provision  against  any  loss  of  the  precious 
lluid  in  the  shape  of  a  pair  of  huge  monkey-pots,  taken  from 
a  sapucaya  while  on  the  way,  and  which  had  been  all  the 
while  lying  in  their  place  of  deposit  in  a  network  of  parasites. 
One  of  these  he  gave  Richard,  to  hold  under  the  tap  while 
he  made  a  second  incision  upon  a  longer  limb  of  the  seringa. 
Both  nutshells  were  quickly  filled  with  the  glutinous  juice, 
which  soon  began  to  thicken  and  coagulate  like  rich  cream. 
The  lids  were  restored  to  their  places,  and  tied  on  with  si- 
pos,  and  then  a  large  quantity  of  this  natural  cordage  was 
collected  and  made  up  into  a  portable  shape.  This  accom- 
plished, the  Mundurucii  signified  his  intention  of  returning 
to  the  castaways ;  and,  after  apportioning  part  of  the  spoil 
to  his  companion,  set  out  on  the  way  they  had  come.  The 
young  Paraense  swam  close  in  his  wake,  and  in  ten  minutes 
they  had  retraversed  the  igarape,  and  saw  before  them  the 
bright  sun  gilding  the  Gapo  at  its  embouchure,  that  appeared 
like  the  mouth  of  some  subterraneous  cavern. 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 

CHASED    BY   A  JACAItE. 


A  PEW  more  strokes  would  have  carried  the  swimmers 
clear  of  the  water  arcade.     Richard  was  already  con- 
gratulating  himself  on    the   prospect   of  escaping  from  the 


CHASED  BY  A  JACARE".  75 

gloomy  shadow,  when  all  at  once  his  companion  started,  raised 
his  head  high  above  the  surface,  and  gazed  backward  along 
the  dark  arcade.  As  he  did  so,  an  exclamation  escaped  him, 
which  only  could  be  one  of  alarm. 

"A  monster!"  cried  the  Mundurucu. 

"  A  monster  !      What  sort  ?    where  ?  " 

"  Yonder, — just  by  the  edge  of  the  igarape,  —  close  in  to 
the  trees,  —  his  body  half  hid  under  the  hanging  branches." 

"  I  see  something  like  the  trunk  of  a  dead  tree,  afloat  upon 
the  water.  A  monster  you  say,  Munday?  What  do  you 
make  it  out  to  be  ?  " 

"The  body  of" a  big  reptile, — big  enough  to  swallow  U3 
both.  It 's  the  Jacare-uassil.  I  heard  its  plunge.  Did  not 
you?" 

"  I  heard  nothing  like  a  plunge,  except  that  made  by  our- 
selves in  swimming." 

"  No  matter.  There  was  such  a  noise  but  a  moment  ago. 
See !  the  monster  is  again  in  motion.     He  is  after  us  ! " 

The  dark  body  Richard  had  taken  for  the  drifting  trunk  of 
a  tree  was  now  in  motion,  and  evidently  making  direct  for 
himself  and  his  companion.  The  waves,  undulating  horizon- 
tally behind  it,  proclaimed  the  strokes  of  its  strong,  vertically 
flattened  tail,  by  which  it  was  propelled  through  the  water. 

"  The  jacare-uassu  !  "  once  more  exclaimed  the  Mundurucii, 
signifying  that  the  reptile  was  the  great  alligator  of  the  Amazon. 

It  was  one  of  the  largest  size,  its  body  showing  full  seven 
yards  above  the  water,  while  its  projecting  jaws,  occasionally 
opened  in  menace  or  for  breath,  appeared  of  sufficient  extent 
to  swallow  either  of  the  swimmers. 

It  was  idle  for  them  to  think  of  escaping  through  the  water. 
At  ease  as  they  both  were  in  this  element,  they  would  have 
proved  but  clumsy  competitors  with  a  cayman,  especially  one 
of  such  strength  and  natatory  skill  as  belong  to  the  huge  rep- 
tile in  pursuit  of  them.  Such  a  swimming-match  was  not 
to  be  thought  of,  and  neither  entertained  the  idea  of  it. 


76  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

"  We  must  take  to  the  trees !  "  cried  the  Indian,  convinced 
that  the  alligator  was  after  them.  The  Great  Spirit  is  good 
to  make  them  grow  so  near.  It  '3  the  only  chance  we  have 
for  saving  our  lives.  To  the  trees,  young  master,  —  to  the 
trees ! " 

As  he  spoke,  the  Mundurucu  faced  towards  the  forest; 
and,  with  quick,  energetic  strokes,  they  glided  under  the 
hanging  branches.  Most  nimbly  they  climbed  the  nearest, 
and,  once  lodged  upon  a  limb,  were  safe ;  and  on  one  of  the 
lowest  they  "  squatted,"  to  await  the  approach  of  the  jacare. 
In  about  three  seconds  the  huge  saurian  came  up,  pausing 
as  it  approached  the  spot  where  the  two  intended  victims 
had  ascended  out  of  its  reach.  It  seemed  more  than  sur- 
prised,—  in  fact,  supremely  astonished;  and  for  some  mo- 
ments lay  tranquil,  as  if  paralyzed  by  its  disappointment. 
This  quietude,  however,  was  of  short  duration  ;  for  soon 
after,  as  if  conscious  of  having  been  tricked,  it  commenced 
quartering  the  water  in  short  diagonal  lines,  which  every 
instant  was  lashed  into  foam  by  a  stroke  of  its  powerful 
tail. 

"  Let  us  be  grateful  to  the  Great  Spirit !  "  said  the  In- 
dian, looking  down  from  his  perch  upon  the  tree.  "We  may 
well  thank  him  for  affording  us  a  safe  refuge  here.  It  's 
the  jacare-uassii,  as  I  said.  The  monster  is  hungry,  because 
it 's  the  time  of  flood,  and  he  can't  get  food  so  easily.  The 
fish  upon  which  he  feeds  are  scattered  through  the  Gapo,  and 
he  can  only  catch  them  by  a  rare  chance.  Besides,  he  has 
tasted  our  blood.  Did  you  not  see  him  sup  at  it  as  he 
came  up  the  igarape  ?  He  '3  mad  now,  and  won't  be  satis- 
fied till  he  obtains  a  victim,  —  a  man  if  he  can,  for  I  can 
tell  by  his  looks  he  's  a  man-eater." 

"  A  man-eater  !     What  mean  you  by  that  ?  " 

"  Only  that  this  jacare"  has  eaten  men,  or  women  as 
likely." 

"  But  how  can  you  tell  that  ?  " 


A   SAURIAN   DIGRESSION.  77 

"  Thus,  young  master.  His  bigness  tells  me  of  his  great 
age.  He  has  lived  long,  and  in  his  time  visited  many 
places.  But  what  makes  me  suspect  him  to  be  a  man-eater 
is  the  eagerness  with  which  he  pursued  us,  and  the  disap- 
pointment he  shows  at  not  getting  hold  of  us.  Look  at 
him  now ! " 

Certainly  there  was  something  peculiar  both  in  the  ap- 
pearance and  movements  of  the  jacare.  Young  Trevannion 
had  never  seen  such  a  monster  before,  though  alligators  were 
plenteous  around  Para,  and  were  no  rare  sight  to  him. 
This  one,  however,  was  larger  than  any  he  had  ever  seen, 
more  gaunt  or  skeleton-like  in  frame,  with  a  more  disgusting 
leer  in  its  deep-sunken -eyes,  and  altogether  more  unearthly 
in  its  aspect.  The  sight  of  the  hidden  saurian  went  far  to 
convince  him  that  there  was  some  truth  in  the  stories  of  which 
he  had  hitherto  been  sceptical.  After  all,  the  Gapo  might 
contain  creatures  fairly  entitled  to  the  appellation  of  "  mon- 
sters." 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

A    SAURIAN   DIGRESSION. 

IT  would  be  difficult  to  conceive  a  more  hideous  monster 
than  this  upon  which  Richard  Trevannion  and  his  com- 
rade gazed.  In  fact,  there  is  no  form  in  nature  —  scarce 
even  in  the  imagination  —  more  unpleasing  to  the  eye  than 
that  of  the  lizard,  the  serpent's  shape  not  excepted.  The 
sight  of  the  latter  may  produce  a  sensation  disagreeable  and 
akin  to  fear;  but  the  curving  and  graceful  configuration, 
either  at  rest  or  in  motion,  and  the  smooth,  shining  skin, 
often  brilliantly  colored  in  beautiful  patterns,  tend  to  prevent 
it  from  approaching  the  bounds  of  horror.     With  the  saurian 


78  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

shape  it  is  different.  In  it  we  behold  the  type  of  the  hor- 
rible, without  anything  to  relieve  the  unpleasant  impression. 
The  positive,  though  distant,  resemblance  to  the  human  form 
itself,  instead  of  making  the  creature  more  seemly,  only  in- 
tensifies the  feeling  of  dread  with  which  we  behold  it.  The 
most  beautiful  coloring  of  the  skin,  and  the  gentlest  habits, 
are  alike  inefficacious  to  remove  that  feeling.  You  may 
look  upon  the  tree-lizard,  clothed  in  a  livery  of  the  most 
vivid  green ;  the  Anolidce,  in  the  bright  blue  of  turquoise,  in 
lemon  and  orange ;  you  may  gaze  on  the  chameleon  when  it 
assumes  its  most  brilliant  hues,  —  but  not  without  an  instinc- 
tive sense  of  repugnance.  True,  there  are  those  who  deny 
this,  who  profess  not  to  feel  it,  and  who  can  fondle  such  pets 
in  their  hands,*  or  permit  them  to  play  around  their  necks 
and  over  their  bosoms.  This,  however,  is  due  to  habit,  and 
long,  familiar  acquaintance. 

Since  this  is  so  with  the  smaller  species  of  the  lizard  tribe, 
even  with  those  of  gay  hues  and  harmless  habits,  what  must 
it  be  with  those  huge  saurians  that  constitute  the  family  of 
the  Crocodilidce,  all  of  which,  in  form,  color,  habits,  and  char- 
acter, approach  the  very  extreme  of  hideousness.  Of  these 
gigantic  reptiles  there  is  a  far  greater  variety  of  species  than 
is  generally  believed,  —  greater  than  is  known  even  to  natu- 
ralists. Until  lately,  some  three  or  four  distinct  kinds,  in- 
habiting Asia,  Africa,  and  America,  were  all  that  were  sup- 
posed to  exist.  Recent  exploration  reveals  a  very  different 
condition,  and  has  added  many  new  members  to  the  family 
of  the  Crocodilidce. 

It  would  be  safe  to  hazard  a  conjecture,  that,  when  the 
world  of  nature  becomes  better  known,  the  number  of  spe- 
cies of  these  ugly  amphibia,  under  the  various  names  of 
gavials,  crocodiles,  caymans,  and  alligators,  all  brothers  or 
first-cousins,  will  amount  to  two  score.  It  is  the  very  close 
resemblance  in  appearance  and  general  habits  that  has  hith- 
erto hindered  these  different  kinds  from  being  distinguished. 


A   SAURIAN   DIGRESSION.  79 

Their  species  are  many ;  arid,  if  you  follow  the  naturalists 
of  the  anatomic  school,  so  too  are  the  genera ;  for  it  pleases 
these  sapient  theorists  to  found  a  genus  on  almost  any 
6pecies,  —  thus  confounding  and  rendering  more  difficult  the 
study  it  is  their  design  to  simplify.  In  the  case  of  the  Croco- 
dilidce  such  subdivision  is  absolutely  absurd ;  and  a  single 
genus  —  certainly  two  at  the  most  —  would  suffice  for  all 
purposes,  practical  or  theoretical.  The  habits  of  the  whole 
family  —  gavials  and  alligators,  crocodiles,  caymans,  and 
jacares  —  are  so  much  alike,  that  it  seems  a  cruelty  to 
separate  them.  It  is  true  the  different  species  attain  to 
very  different  sizes;  some,,  as  the  curua,  are  scarce  two 
feet  in  length,  while  the  big  brothers  of  the  family,  among 
the  gavials,  crocodiles,  and  alligators,  are  often  ten  times  as 
long. 

It  is  impossible  to  say  how  many  species  of  Crocodilidce 
inhabit  the  waters  of  the  South  American  continent.  There 
are  three  in  the  Amazon  alone  ;  but  it  is  quite  probable  that 
in  some  of  its  moi-e  remote  tributaries  there  exist  other  dis- 
tinct species,  since  the  three  above  mentioned  do  not  all 
dwell  in  the  same  portion  of  this  mighty  stream.  The  Ama- 
zonian Indians  speak  of  many  more  species,  and  believe  in 
their  existence.     No  doubt  the  Indians  are  right. 

In  the  other  systems  of  South  American  waters,  as  those 
of  the  La  Plata,  the  Orinoco,  and  the  Magdalena,  species 
exist  that  are  not  known  to  the  Amazon.  Even  in  the  iso- 
lated water  deposits  of  Lake  Valencia  Humboldt  discovered 
the  bava,  a  curious  little  crocodile  not  noted  elsewhere.  The 
three  Amazonian  reptiles,  though  having  a  strong  resemblance 
in  general  aspect,  are  quite  distinct  as  regards  the  species. 
In  the  curious  and  useful  dialect  of  that  region,  understood 
alike  by  Indians  and  Portuguese,  they  are  all  called  "Jaca- 
res," though  they  are  specifically  distinguished  as  the  Jacare- 
uassu  the  Jacari-tinga,  and  the  Jacare-curua.  Of  the  first 
kind  was  that  which  had  pursued  the  two  swimmers,  and  it 


80  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

was  one  of  the  largest  of  its  species,  full  twenty-live  feet  from 
the  point  of  its  bony  snout  to  the  tip  of  its  serrated  tail.  No 
wonder  they  got  out  of  its  way  ! 


CHAPTER   XXVI. 

TREED     DY    AN    ALLIGATOR. 

• 

FOR  a  time  the  two  refugees  were  without  fear  or  care. 
They  knew  they  were  out  of  reach,  and,  so  long  as  they 
kept  to  their  perch,  were  in  no  danger.  Had  it  been  a  jag- 
uar instead  of  a  jacare,  it  would  have  been  another  thing ; 
but  the  amphibious  animal  could  not  crawl  up  the  trunk 
of  a  tree,  nor  yet  ascend  by  the  hanging  limbs  or  llianas. 
Their  only  feeling  was  that  of  chagrin  at  being  stopped  on 
their  way  back  to  their  -companions  in  the  sapucaya,  know- 
ing that  their  return  would  be  impatiently  expected.  They 
could  by  shouting  have  made  themselves  heard,  but  not  with 
sufficient  distinctness  to  be  understood.  The  matted  tree- 
tops  intervening  would  have  prevented  this.  They  thought 
it  better  to  be  silent,  lest  their  shouts  might  cause  alarm. 
Richard  hoped  that  the  alligator  would  soon  glide  back  to  the 
haunt  whence  it  had  sallied,  and  leave  them  at  liberty  to  con- 
tinue their  journey,  but  the  Mundurucu  was  not  so  sanguine. 

There  was  something  in  the  behavior  of  the  jacare"  he  did 
not  like,  especially  when  he  saw  it  quartering  the  water  as  if  in 
search  of  the  creatures  that  had  disappeared  so  mysteriously. 

"  Surely  it  won't  lie  in  wait  for  us  ?  "  was  the  first  question 
put  by  his  companion.     "  You  don't  think  it  will  ?  " 

"I  do,  young  master,  I  do.  That  is  ju^t  what  troubles  the 
Mundurucu.  He  may  keep  us  here  for  hours,  —  perhaps  till 
the  sun  noes  down." 


TREED  BY  AN  ALLIGATOR.  81 

"  That  would  be  anything  but  pleasant,  —  perhaps  more  so 
to  those  who  are  waiting  for  us  than  to  ourselves.  What  can 
we  do  ?"  • 

"  Nothing  at  present.     "We  must  have  patience,  master." 

"  For  my  part,  I  shall  try,"  replied  the  Paraense  ;  "  but  it 's 
very  provoking  to  be  besieged  in  this  fashion,  —  separated  by 
only  a  few  hundred  yards  from  one's  friends,  and  yet  unable 
to  rejoin  or  communicate  with  them." 

"  Ah  !  I  wish  the  Curupira  had  him.  I  fear  the  brute  is 
going  to  prove  troublesome.  The  Mundurucii  can  read  evil 
in  his  eye.  -Look !  he  has  come  to  a  stand.  He  sees  us ! 
No  knowing  now  when  he  will  grow  tired  of  our  company." 

"  But  has  it  sense  enough  for  that  ?  " 

"  Sense  !  Ah !  canning,  master  may  call  it,  when  he  talks 
of  the  jacare.  Surely,  young  master,  you  know  that,  —  you 
who  are  a  Paraense  born  and  bred  ?  You  must  know  that 
these  reptiles  will  lie  in  wait  for  a  whole  week  by  a  bathing- 
place^  watching  for  a  victim,  —  some  helpless  child,  or  even  a 
grown  man,  who  has  been  drinking  too  much  cashaca.  Ah 
yes !  many  's  the  man  the  jacare"  has  closed  his  deadly  jaws 
uuon." 

"  Well,  I  hope  this  one  won't  have  that  opportunity  with 
us.     We  must  n't  give  it." 

"  Not  if  we  can  help  it,"  rejoined  the  Indian.  "  But  we 
must  be  quiet,  young  master,  if  we  expect  to  get  out  of  this 
fix  in  any  reasonable  time.  The  jacare"  has  sharp  ears,  small 
though  they  look.  He  can  hear  every  word  we  are  saying ; 
ay,  and  if  one  were  to  judge  by  the  leer  in  his  ugly  eye,  he 
understands  us." 

"  At  all  events,  it  appears  to  be  listening." 

So  the  conversation  sank  to  silence,  broken  only  by  an  oc- 
casional whisper,  and  no  gesture  even  made  communication, 
for  they  saw  the  leering  look  of  the  reptile  fixed  steadily  up- 
on them.     Almost  two  hours  passed  in  this  tantalizing  and 

irksome  fashion. 

4*  r 


82  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

The  sun  had  now  crossed  the  meridian  line,  and  was  de- 
clining westward.  The  jacare*  had  not  stirred  from  the  spot. 
It  lay  fike  a  log  upon  the  water,  its  lurid  eyes  alone  proclaim- 
ing its  animation.  For  more  than  an  hour  it  had  made  no 
visible  movement,  and  their  situation  was  becoming  insup- 
portable. 

"  But  what  can  we  do  ?  "  asked  Richard,  despairingly. 

"  We  must  try  to  travel  through  the  tree-tops,  and  get  to 
the  other  side.  If  we  can  steal  out  of  his  sight  and  hearing, 
all  will  be  well.  The  Mundurucu  is  angry  with  himself;  he 
did  n't  think  of  this  before.  He  was  fool  enough  to  hope 
the  jacare  would  get  tired  first.  He  might  have  known  bet- 
ter, since  the  beast  has  tasted  blood.  That  or  hunger  makes 
him  such  a  stanch  sentinel.  Come,  young  master !"  added 
the  Indian,  rising  from  his  seat,  and  laying  hold  of  a  branch. 
"  We  must  make  a  journey  through  the  tree-tops.  Not  a 
word,  —  not  a  broken  bough  if  you  can  help  it.  Keep  close 
after  me ;  watch  what  I  do,  and  do  you  exactly  the  same." 

"  All  right,  Munday,"  muttered  the  Paraense.  "  Lead  on, 
old  boy !      I  '11  do  my  best  to  follow  you." 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

AN    AQUA-ARBOREAL    JOURNEY. 

IT  may  appear  strange,  incredible,  absurd,  that  such  a 
journey,  for  however  short  a  distance,  should  have  been 
attempted  by  human  beings.  No  doubt"  to  many  it  will  ap- 
pear so,  and  be  set  down  as  ludicrously  improbable.  Twenty 
minutes  passed  in  the  shadowy  gloom  of  a  South  American 
forest  would  strip  the  idea  of  travelling  among  the  tree-tops  of 
much  of  its  improbability.     In  many  places  such  a  feat  is  quite 


AN  AQUA-ARBOREAL  JOURNEY.  83 

possible,  and  comparatively  easy,  —  perhaps  not  so  "  easy  as 
rolling  off'  a  log,"  but  almost  as  much  so  as  climbing  to  the 
top  of  one.  In  the  great  montana  of  the  Amazon  there  are 
stretches  of  forest,  miles  in  extent,  where  the  trees  are  so 
matted  and  interlaced  as  to  form  one  continuous  "arbor," 
each  united  to  its  immediate  neighbors  by  natural  stays  and 
cables,  to  which  the  meshes  formed  by  the  rigging  of  a  ship 
are  as  an  open  network  in  comparison.  In  the  midst  of  this 
magnificent  luxuriance  of  vegetable  life,  there  are  birds, 
beasts,  and  insects  that  never  set  foot  upon  the  ground ;  — 
birds  in  a  vast  variety  of  genera  and  species ;  beasts  —  I  mean 
quadrupeds  —  of  many  different  kinds ;  insects  of  countless 
orders  ;  quadrumana  that  never  touched  terra  jirma  with  any 
of  their  four  hands ;  and,  I  had  almost  added,  man.  He, 
too,  if  not  exclusively  confining  himself  to  the  tops  of 
these  forest-trees,  may  make  them  habitually  his  home,  aa 
shall  be  seen  in  the  sequel. 

It  was  no  great  feat,  then,  for  the  Mundurucu  and  his 
acolyte  to  make  a  short  excursion  across  the  "spray"  of  the 
forest,  since  this  is  the  very  timber  that  is  so  tied  together. 
There  was  even  less  of  danger  than  in  a  tract  of  woods 
growing  upon  the  highlands  or  "  Campos."  A  fall  into  the 
Gapo  could  only  entail  a  ducking,  with  a  brief  interruption 
of  the  journey. 

It  does  not  follow  that  their  progress  must  be  either  swift 
or  direct.  That  would  depend  upon  the  character  of  the 
trees  and  their  parasites,  —  whether  the  former  grew  close 
together,  and  whether  the  latter  were  numerous  and  luxuri- 
ant, or  of  scanty  growth.  To  all  appearance,  Nature  in  that 
spot  had  been  beneficent,  and  poured  forth  her  vegetable 
treasures  profusely. 

Tiie  Indian,  glancing  through  the  branches,  believed  there 
would  be  no  more  difficulty  in  getting  to  the  other  side  of 
the  belt  of  timber  trTat  separated  them  from  the  open  water, 
than  in  traversing  a  thicket   of  similar   extent.     With  this 


84  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

* 
confidence   he   set   forth,  followed   by  his   less  experienced 

companion.      Both  began  and  continued  their  monkey-like 

march  in  the  most  profound  silence. 

They  knew  that  it  was  possible  and  easy  for  the  alligator 
to  bear  them  company ;  for  although  they  were  forced  to 
pass  through  an  almost  impervious  thicket,  down  on  the 
water  it  was  altogether  different.  There  was  nothing  to 
impede  the  progress  of  the  saurian,  huge  as  it  was,  except 
the  trunks  of  the  trees. 

To  tell  the  truth,  it  was  a  toilsome  trip,  and  both  the 
travellers  were  weary  of  it  long  before  coming  within  sight 
of  the  open  water  on  the  opposite  side.  Often  were  they 
compelled  to  carry  their  own  weight  on  the  strength  of  their 
arms,  by  hoisting  themselves  from  tree  to  tree.  Many  a 
detour  had  they  to  make,  sometimes  on  account  of  the  im- 
penetrable network  of  creepers,  and  sometimes  because  of 
open  water,  that,  in  pools,  interrupted  their  route. 

The  distance  to  be  traversed  was  not  over  two  hundred 
yards.  At  starting  they  knew  not  how  far,  but  it  proved 
about  this  measure.  If  they  had  made  their  calculation 
according  to  time,  they  might  have  estimated  it  at  half  a 
score  of  miles.  They  were  a  good  hour  and  a  half  on  the 
journey ;  but  the  delay,  with  all  its  kindred  regrets,  was 
forgotten,  when  they  saw  the  open  water  before  them,  and 
soon  after  found  themselves  on  the  selvage  of  the  submerged 
forest. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

A    TIMELY   WARNING. 


0 


N   arriving   among    the   outside    trees,   our    explorers, 
homeward   bound,  saw  something   to  cheer   them, — 


A  TIMELY  WARNING.  85 

something  besides  the  bright  sun  and  the  shining  waters  of 
the  Gapo.  It  was  the  sapucaya,  still  bearing  its  stupendous 
fruit,  the  friends  they  had  left  behind  them.  The  Paraense 
appeared  to#be  counting  them,  as  if  to  make  sure  that  all 
were  still  safe  upon  the  tree.  Perhaps  he  was  only  intent 
on  the  discovery  of  one,  or,  having  discovered,  was  feeding 
his  eyes  upon  her  form,  slender  and  graceful  in  the  distance. 
He  would  have  shouted  to  apprise  them  of  the  safety  of 
himself  and  companion,  had  not  a  sign  from  the  latter,  ac- 
companied by  a  few  muttered  words,  counselled  him  to  hold 
his  peace. 

"  Why  not,  Munday  ?  " 

"  Not  a  word,  young  master.  "We  are  not  yet  out  of  the 
woods  ;  the  jacare  may  hear  us." 

"  We  left  it  far  behind  in  the  iganipe." 

"  Ah,  true !  Who  knows  where  he  may  be  now  ?  Not 
the  Mundurucu.  The  monster  may  have  followed  us.  Who 
knows  ?  He  may  be  at  this  moment  within  twenty  yards, 
waiting  for  us  to  come  back  into  the  water." 

As  he  spoke,  the  Indian  looked  anxiously  behind  him. 
He  could  discover  no  cause  of  alarm.  All  was  still  under 
the  shadow  of  the  trees.  Not  even  a  ripple  could  be  seen 
upon  the  sombre  surface  of  the  water. 

"  I  think  we  've  given  it  the  slip,"  remarked  Richard. 

"  It  looks  so,"  responded  the  Indian.  "  The  Mundurucu 
hears  no  sound,  sees  no  sign.  The  jacare  should  still  be 
in  the  iganipe." 

"  Why  should  we  delay  any  longer  ?  Several  hours  have 
elapsed  since  we  left  the  sapucaya.  My  uncle  and  every- 
body else  will  be  out  of  all  patience.  They  will  be  dis- 
tracted with  sheer  anxiety.  They  look  as  if  they  wTere. 
Thouji  wu  have  a  good  view  of  them,  I  don't  suppose  they 
see  us.  If  they  did,  they  would  be  ^hailing  us,  that  's  cer- 
tain.    Let  us  take  to  the  water,  and  rejoin  them." 

The  Mundurucu,  after  looking  once  more  to  the  rear,  and 


86  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

listening  for  a  few  moments,  replied,  "  I  think  we  may  ven- 
ture." 

This  was  the  cue  for  young  Trevannion,  and,  lowering 
himself  from  the  limb  on  which  he  was  supported,  the  two 
almost  at  the  same  instant  committed  themselves  to  the  flood. 
Scarce  had  they  touched  the  water  when  their  ears  were 
assailed  by  a  shout  that  came  pealing  across  the  Gapo. 
It  neither  startled  nor  surprised  them,  for  they  could  not 
fail  to  comprehend  its  meaning.  It  was  a  cheer  sent  forth 
from  the  sapucaya,  announcing  their  reappearance  to  the 
eyes  of  their  anxious  companions.  Stimulated  by  the  joy- 
ous tones,  the  two  swimmers  struck  boldly  out  into  the  open 
water. 

Richard  no  longer  thought  of  looking  behind  him.  In  a 
hasty  glance  directed  towards  the  sapucaya,  as  he  rose  after 
his  first  plunge  upon  the  water,  he  had  seen  something  to 
lure  him  on,  at  the  same  time  absorbing  all  his  reflections. 
lie  had  seen  a  young  girl,  standing  erect  within  the  fork  of 
the  tree,  throw  up  her  arms  as  if  actuated  by  some  sudden 
transport  of  joy.  What  could  have  caused  it  but  the  sight 
of  him  ? 

The  mind  of  the  Mundurucii  was  far  differently  employed. 
His  thoughts  were  retrospective,  not  prospective.  So,  too, 
were  his  glances.  Instead  of  looking  forward  to  inquire 
what  was  going  on  among  the  branches  of  the  sapucaya,  he 
carried  his  beardless  chin  upon  his  shoulder,  keeping  his 
eyes  and  ears  keenly  intent  to  any  sight  or  sound  that  might 
appear .  suspicious  behind  him.  His  caution,  as  was  soon 
proved,  was  neither  unnatural  nor  superfluous,  nor  yet  the 
counsel  given  to  his  companion  to  swim  as  if  some  swift  and 
terrible  pursuer  were  after  him ;  for  although  the  Indian 
spoke  from  mere  conjecture,  his  words  were  but  too  true. 

The  swimmers  had  traversed  about  half  the  space  of  open 
water  that  lay  between  the  sapucaya  and  ■  the  submerged 
forest.     The  Indian  had  purposely  permitted  himself  to  fall 


A  TIMELY    WARNING.  87 

into  the  wake  of  his  companion,  in  order  that  his  backward 
view  might  be  unobstructed.  So  far,  no  alligator  showed 
itself  behind  them,  no  enemy  of  any  kind ;  and  in  proportion 
as  his  confidence  increased,  he  relaxed  his  vigilance.  It 
seemed  certain  the  jacare  had  given  up  the  chase.  It  could 
not  have  marked  their  movements  among  the  tree-tops,  and 
in  all  likelihood  the  monster  was  still  keeping  guard  near 
the  opening  of  the  igarape.  Too  happy  to  arrive  at  this  con- 
clusion, the  Indian  ceased  to  think  of  a  pursuit,  and,  after 
making  an  effort,  overtook  the  young  Paraense,  the  two 
continuing  to  swim  abreast.  As  there  no  longer  appeared 
any  reason  for  extraordinary  speed,  the  swimmers  simulta- 
neously suspended  the  violent  exertions  they  had  been  hith- 
erto making,  and  with  relaxed  stroke  kept  on  towards  the 
sapucaya. 

It  was  fortunate  for  both  that  other  eyes  than  their  own 
were  turned  upon  that  stretch  of  open  water.  Had  it  not 
been  so,  the  silent  swimmer,  far  swifter  than  they,  coming 
rapidly  up  in  their  rear,  might  have  overtaken  them  long 
before  reaching  the  tree.  The  shout  sent  forth  from  the 
sapucaya,  in  which  every  voice  bore  a  part,  warned  them 
of  some  dread  danger  threatening  near.  But  for  late  ex- 
perience, they  might  not  have  known  on  which  side  to  look 
for  it;  but,  guided  by  this,  they  instinctively  looked  back. 
The  jacare,  close  behind,  was  coming  on  as  fast  as  his  pow- 
erful tail,  rapidly  oscillating  from  side  to  side,  could  propel 
him.  It  was  fortunate  for  the  two  swimmers  they  had 
heard  that  warning  cry  in  time.  A  score  of  seconds  made 
all  the  difference  in  their  favor,  all  the  difference  between 
life  and  death.  It  was  their  destiny  to  live,  and  not  die 
then  in  the  jaws  of  the  jacare\  Before  the  ugly  reptile,  mak- 
ing all  the  speed  in  its  power,  could  come  up  with  either 
of  them,  both,  assisted  by  willing  hands,  had  climbed  beyond 
its  reach,  and  could  look  upon  it  without  fear  from  among 
the  branches  of  the  sapucaya. 


88  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

CHAPTER  XXIX. 

IMPROVISED    SWIMMING-BELTS. 

THE  huge  saurian  swain  on  to  the  tree,  —  to  the  very 
spot  where  Richard  and  the  Mundurucu  had  climbed 
up,  at  the  forking  of  the  stem.  On  perceiving  that  its  prey 
had  for  a  second  time  got  clear,  its  fury  seemed  to  break  all 
bounds.  It  lashed  the  water  with  its  tail,  closed  its  jaws. 
with  a  loud  clattering,  and  gave  utterance  to  a  series  of 
sounds,  that  could  only  be  compared  to  a  cross  between  the 
bellowing  of  a  bull  and  the  grunting  of  a  hog. 

Out  in  the  open  light  of  the  sun,  and  swimming  conspicu- 
ously upon  the  surface  of  the  water,  a  good  view  of  the  rep- 
tile could  now  be'  obtained ;  but  this  did  not  improve  the  opin- 
ion of  it  already  formed  by  Richard.  It  looked,  if  possible, 
uglier  than  when  seen  in  shadow ;  for  in  the  light  the  fixed 
leer  of.  its  lurid  eye,  and  the  ghastly  blood-colored  inside  of 
the  jaws,  at  intervals  opened,  and  showing  a  triple  row  of  ter- 
rible teeth,  were  more  conspicuous  and  disgusting.  Its  im- 
mense bulk  made  it  still  more  formidable  to  look  upon.  Its 
body  was  full  eight  yards  in  length,  and  of  proportionate 
thickness,  —  measuring  around  the  middle  not  less  than  a 
fathom  and  a  half;  while  the  lozenge-like  protuberances 
nlong  its  spine  rose  in  pointed  pyramids  to  the  height  of  sev- 
eral inches. 

No  wonder  that  little  Rosa  uttered  a  shriek  of  terror  on 
first  beholding  it ;  no  wonder  that  brave  young  Ralph  trem- 
bled at  the  sight.  Even  Trevannion  himself,  with  the  negro 
and  Tipperary  Tom,  regarded  the  reptile  with  fear.  It  was 
some  time  before  they  felt  sure  that  it  could  not  crawl  up  to 
them.  It  seemed  for  a  time  as  if  it  meant  to  do  so,  rubbing 
its  bony  snout  against  the  bark,  and  endeavoring  to  clasp  the 
trunk  with  its  short  human-like  arms.     After  several  efforts 


IMPROVISED   SKIMMING-BELTS.  89 

to  ascend,  it  apparently  became  satisfied  that  this  feat  was 
not  to  be  performed,  and  reluctantly  gave  up  the  attempt ; 
then,  retreating  ashort  distance,  began  swimming  in  irregular 
circles  around  the  tree,  all  the  while  keeping  its  eye  fixed 
upon  the  branches. 

After  a  time,  the  castaways  only  bent  their  gaze  upon  the 
monster  at  intervals,  when  some  new  manoeuvre  attracted 
their  notice.  There  was  no  immediate  danger  to  be  dreaded 
from  it ;  and  although  its  proximity  was  anything  but  pleas- 
ant, there  were  other  thoughts  equally  disagreeable,  and  more 
important,  to  occupy  their  time  and  attention.  They  could 
not  remain  all  their  lives  in  the  sapucaya ;  and  although  they 
knew  not  what  fortune  awaited  them  in  the  forest,  beyond, 
they'  were  all  anxious  to  get  there. 

Whether  it  was  altogether  a  flooded  forest,  or  whether 
there  might  not  be  some  dry  land  in  it,  no  one  could  tell. 
In  the  Mundurucii's  opinion  it  was  the  former:  and  in  the 
face  of  this  belief,  there  was  not  much  hope  of  their  finding 
a  foot  of  dry  land.  In  any  case,  the  ferest  must  be  reached, 
and  all  were  anxious  to  quit  their  quarters  on  the  sapucaya, 
under  the  belief  that  they  would  find  others  more  comfort- 
able. At  all  events,  a  change  could  not  well  be  for  the 
worse. 

Munday  had  promised  them  the  means  of  transport,  but 
how  this  was  to  be  provided  none  of  them  as  yet  knew.  The 
time,  however,  had  arrived  for  him  to  declare  his  intentions, 
and  this  he  proceeded  to  do  ;  not  in  words,  but  by  deeds  that 
soon  made  manifest  his  design. 

It  will  be  remembered  that,  after  killing  the  macaws,  he 
had  tapped  the  seringa,  and  "  drawn "  two  cups  full  of  the 
sap,  —  that  he  had  bottled  it  up  in  the  pots,  carefully  closing 
the  lids  against  leakage.  It  will  also  be  remembered,  that 
he  had  provided  himself  with  a  quantity  of  creepers,  which 
he  had  folded  into  a  portable  bundle.  These  were  of  a  pecu- 
liar  sort, —  the  true  sipos    of  the    South    American   forest, 


90  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

which  serve  for  all  purposes  of  cordage,  ropes  ready  made  hy 
the  hand  of  Nature.  On  parting  from  the  seringa,  he  had 
brought  these  articles  along  with  him,  his  companion  carry- 
ing a  share  of  the  load.  Though  chased  by  the  jacan',  and 
close  run  too,  neither  had  abandoned  his  bundle,  —  tied  by 
sipos  around  the  neck,  —  and  both  the  bottled  caoutchouc 
and  the  cordage  were  now  in  the  sapucaya.  What  they  were 
intended  for  no  one  could  guess,  until  it  pleased  the  Indian  to 
reveal  his  secret ;  and  this  he  at  length  did,  by  collecting  a 
large  number  of  nuts  from  the  sapucaya,  —  Ralph  and  Rich- 
ard acting  as  his  aids,  —  emptying  them  of  their  three-cor- 
nered kernels,  restoring  the  lids,  and  then  making  them  "  wa- 
ter-proof" by  a  coating  of  the  caoutchouc. 

Soon  all  became  acquainted  with  his  plans,  when  they  saw 
him  bind  the  hollow  shells  into  bunches,  three  or  four  in  each, 
held. together  by  sipos,  and  then  with  a  stronger  piece  of  the 
same  parasite  attach  the  bunches  two  and  two  together,  leav- 
ing about  three  feet  of  the  twisted  sipos  between. 

"  Swimming-belts  ! "  cried  Ralph,  now  for  the  first  time 
comprehending  the  scheme.  Ralph  was  right.  That  was 
just  what  the  Mundurucu  had  manufactured,  —  a  set  of 
swimming-belts. 


CHAPTER    XXX. 

ALLIGATOR    LORE. 

FOR  an  hour  the  castaways  remained  in  the  tree,  chafing 
with  impatience  and  chagrin  that  their  awful  enemy 
still  kept  his  savage  watch  for  them  in  the  Gapo  below,  glid- 
ing lazily  to  and  fro,  but  ever  watching  them  with  eager,  evil 
eye.  But  there  was  no  help  for  it ;  and  by  way  of  possessing 
their  souls  in  more  patience,  and  making  time  pass  quicker, 


IMPROVISED   SWIMMING-BELTS.  91 

they  fell  to  conversing  on  a  subject  appropriate  to  the  occa- 
sion, for  it  was  the  jacare  itself,  or  rather  alligators  in  gen- 
eral. Most  of  the  questions  were  put  by  Trevannion,  while 
the  answers  were  given  by  the  Mundurucii,  whose  memory, 
age,  and  experience  made  him  a  comprehensive  cyclopaedia 
of  alligator  lore. 

The  Indian,  according  to  his  own  account,  was  acquainted 
with  five  or  six  different  kinds  of  jacare.  They  were  not  all 
found  in  one  place,  though  he  knew  parts  of  the  country 
where  two  or  three  kinds  might  be  found  dwelling  in  the 
same  waters ;  as,  for  instance,  the  jacare-uassii  (great  alliga- 
tor), the  same  as  was  then  besieging  them,  and  which  is  some- 
times called  the  black  jacare,  might  often  be  seen  in  the  same 
pool  with  the  jacare-tinga,  or  little  alligator.  Little  jacare 
was  not  an  appropriate  name  for  this  last  species.  It  was 
four  feet  long  when  full  grown,  and  he  knew  of  others,  as 
the  jacare-curua,  that  never  grew  above  two.  These  kinds 
frequented  small  creeks,  and  were  less  known  than  the  oth- 
ers, as  it  was  only  in  certain  places  they  were  found.  The 
jacares  were  most  abundant  in  the  dry  season.  He  did  not 
suppose  they  were  really  more  numerous,  only  that  they  were 
then  collected  together  in  the  permanent  lakes  and  pools. 
Besides,  the  rivers  were  then  lower,  and  as  there  was  less 
surface  for  them  to  spread  over,  they  were  more  likely  to  be 
seen.  As  soon  as  the  echente  commenced,  they  forsook  the 
channels  of  the  rivers,  as  also  the  standing  lakes,  and  wan- 
dered all  over  the  Gapo.  As  there  was  then  a  thousand 
times  the  quantity  of  water,  of  course  the  creatures  were 
more  scattered,  and  less  likely  to  be  encountered.  In  the 
vasante  he  had  seen  half-dried  lakes  swarming  with  jacares, 
as  many  as  there  would  be  tadpoles  in  a  frog-pond.  At  such 
times  he  had  seen  them  crowded  together,  and  had  heard 
their  scales  rattling,  as  they  jostled  one  another,  at  the  dis- 
tance of  half  a  mile  or  more.  In  the  countries  on  the  lower 
part  of  the  Solimoiis,  where  many  of  the  inland  lakes  become 


92 


AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 


dry  during  the  vasante,  many  jacares  at  that  season  buried 
themselves  in  the  mud,  and  went  to  sleep.  They  remained 
asleep,  encased  in  dry,  solid  earth,  till  the  flood  once  more 
softened  the  mud  around  them,  when  they  came  out  again  as 
ugly  as  ever.  He  did  n't  think  that  they  followed  this  fash- 
ion everywhere ;  only  where  the  lakes  in  which  they  chanced 
to  be  became  dry,  and  they  found  their  retreat  to  the  river 
cut  off.  They  made  their  nests  on  -dry  land,  covering  the 
eggs  over  with  a  great  conical  pile  of  rotten  leaves  and  mud. 
The  eggs  of  the  jacare-uassii  were  as  large  as  cocoa-nuts,  and 
of  an  oval  shape.  They  had  a  thick,  rough  shell,  which  made 
a  loud  noise  when  rubbed  against  any  hard  substance.  If  the 
female  were  near  the  nest,  and  you  wished  to  find  her,  you 
had  only  to  rub  two  of  the  eggs  together,  and  she  would  come 
waddling  towards  you  the  moment  she  heard  the  noise.     They 


1» 


--=—-  Wfc. 


fed  mostly  on  fish,  but  that  was  because  fish  was  plentiest,  and 
most  readily  obtained.  They  would  eat  flesh  or  fowl,  —  any- 
thing that  chanced  in  their  way.  Fling  them  a  bone,  and 
they  would  swallow  it  at  a  gulp,  seizing  it  in  their  great  jaws 
before  it  could  reach  the  water,  just  as  a  dog  would  do.     If 


IMPROVISED   SWIMMING-BELTS.  93 

a  morsel  got  into  their  mouth  that  would  n't  readily  go  down, 
they  would  pitch  it  out,  and  catch  it  while  in  the  air,  so  as 
to  get  it  between  their  jaws  in  a  more  convenient  manner. 

Sometimes  they  had  terrific  combats  with  the  jaguars  ;  but 
these  animals  were  wary  about  attacking  the  larger  ones,  and 
only  preyed  upon  the  young  of  these,  or  the  jacare-tingas. 
They  themselves  made  war  on  every  creature  they  could 
catch,  and  above  all  on  the  young  turtles,  thousands  of  which 
were  every  year  devoured  by  them.  They  even  devoured 
their  own  children,  — that  is,  the  old  males  did,  whenever 
the  mai  (mother)  was  not  in  the  way  to  protect  them.  They 
had  an  especial  preference  for  dogs,  —  that  is,  as  food,  —  and 
if  they  should  hear  a  dog  barking  in  the  forest,  they  would  go 
a  long  way  over  land  to  get  hold  of  him.  They  lie  in  wait 
for  fish,  sometimes  hiding  themselves  in  the  weeds  and  grass 
till  the  latter  come  near.  They  seized  them,  if  convenient, 
between  their  jaws,  or  killed  them  with  a  stroke  of  the  tail, 
making  a  great  commotion  in  the  water.  The  fish  got  con- 
fused with  fright,  and  did  n't  know  which  way  to  swim  out 
of  the  reptile's  reach.  Along  with  their  other  food  they  ate 
stones,  for  he  had  often  found  stones  in  their  stomach.  The 
Indian  said  it  was  done  that  the  weight  might  enable  them 
to  go  under  the  water  more  easily. 

The  Capilearas  were  large  animals  that  furnished  many  a 
meal  to  the  jacares ;  although  the  quadrupeds  could  swim 
very  fast,  they  were  no  match  for  the  alligator,  who  can  make 
head  with  rapidity  against  the  strongest  current.  If  they 
could  only  turn  short,  they  would  be  far  more  dangerous 
than  they  are  ;  but  their  neck  was  stiff,  and  it  took  them  a 
long  while  to  get  round,  which  was  to  their  enemies'  advan- 
,  tage.  Sometimes  they  made  journeys  upon  land.  General- 
ly they  travelled  very  slowly,  but  they  could  go  much  faster 
when  attacked,  or  pursuing  their  prey.  Their  tail  was  to  be 
especially  dreaded.  With  a  blow  of  that  they  could  knock 
the  breath  out  of  a  man's  body,  or  break  his  leg  bone.     They 


94  AFLOAT  IN  THE   FOREST. 

liked  to  bask  in  the  sun,  lying  along  the  sand-banks  by  the 
edge  of  the  river,  several  of  them  together,  with  their  tails 
laid  one  on  the  other.  They  would  remain  motionless  for 
hours,  as  if  asleep,  but  all  the  while  with  their  mouths  wide 
open.  Some  said  that  they  did  this  to  entrap  the  flies  and 
insects  that  alighted  upon  their  tongue  and  teeth,  but  he  (the 
Mundupucu)  did  n't  believe  it,  because  no  quantity  of  flies 
would  fill  the  stomach  of  the  great  jacare.  While  lying  thus, 
or  even  at  rest  upon  the  water,  birds  often  perched  upon 
their  backs  and  heads/ — cranes,  ibises,  and  other  kinds. 
They  even  walked  about  over  their  bodies  without  seeming 
to  disturb  them.  In  that  way  the  jacares  could  not  get  at 
them,  if  they  wished  it  ever  so  much. 

There  were  some  jacares  more  to  be  dreaded  than  others. 
These  were  the  man-eaters,  such  as  had  once  tasted  human 
flesh.  There  were  many  of  them,  —  too  many,  —  since  not 
a  year  passed  without  several  people  falling  victims  to  the 
voracity  of  these  reptiles.  People  were  used  to  seeing  them 
every  day,  and  grew  careless.  The  jacares  lay  in  wait  in 
the  bathing-places  close  to  villages  and  houses,  and  stole 
upon  the  bathers  that  had  ventured  into  deep  water.  Wom- 
en, going  to  fetch  water,  and  children,  were  especially  sub- 
ject to  their  attack.  He  had  known  men,  who  had  gone 
into  the  water  in  a  state  of  intoxication,  killed  and  devoured 
by  the  jacare\  with  scores  of  people  looking  helplessly  on 
from  the  bank,  not  twenty  yards  away.  When  an  event 
of  this  kind  happened,  the  people  armed  themselves  en  masse, 
got  into  their  montarias  (canoes),  gave  chase,  and  usually 
killed  the  reptile.  At  other  times  it  was  left  unmolested 
for  months,  and  allowed  to  lie  in  wait  for  a  victim. 

The  brute  was  muy  ladim  (very  cunning).  That  was 
evident  enough  to  his  listeners.  They  had  only  to  look 
down  into  the  water,  and  watch  the  movements  of  the  mon- 
ster there.  Notwithstanding  its  ferocity,  it  was  at  bottom 
a  great  coward,  but  it  knew  well  when  it  was  master  of 


A  RIDE  UPON  A  REPTILE.  95 

the  situation.  The  one  under  the  sapucaya  believed  itself 
to  be  in  that  position.  It  might  be  mistaken.  If  it  did 
not  very  soon  take  its  departure,  he,  the  Mundurucu,  should 
make  trial  of  its  courage,  and  then  would  be  seen  who  was 
master.  Big  as  it  was,  it  would  not  be  so  difficult  to  sub- 
due for  one  who  knew  how.  The  jacare  was  not  easily 
killed,  for  it  would  not  die  outright  till  it.  was  cut  to  pieces. 
But  it  could  be  rendered  harmless.  Neither  bullet  nor  ar- 
row would  penetrate  its  body,  but  there  were  places  where 
its  life  could  be  reached,  —  the  throat,  the  eyes,  and  the 
hollow  places  just  behind  the  eyes,  in  front  of  the  shoulders. 
If  stabbed  in  any  of  these  tender  places,  it  must  go  under. 
He  knew  a  plan  better  than  that ;  and  if  the  brute  did  not 
soon  raise  the  siege,  he  would  put  it  in  practice.  He  was 
getting  to  be  an  old  man.  Twenty  summers  ago  he  would 
not  have  put  up  with  such  insolence  from  an  alligator.  He 
was  not  decrepit  yet.  If  the  jacare  consulted  its  own  safety, 
it  would  do  well  to  look  out.    - 


CHAPTER   XXXI. 

A    HIDE    UPON    A    REPTILE. 

AFTER  thus  concluding  his  long  lecture  upon  alligators, 
the  Indian  grew  restless,  and  fidgeted  from  side  to 
side.  It  was  plain  to  all,  that  the  presence  of  the  jacare 
was  provoking  him  to  fast-culminating  excitement.  As 
another  hour  passed,  and  the  monster  showed  no  signs  of 
retiring,  his  excitement  grew  to  anger  so  intense,  as  to  be 
no  longer  withheld  from  seeking  relief  in  action.  So  the 
Mundurucu  hastily  uprose,  flinging  aside  the  swimming-belts 
hitherto  held  in  his  hand.*.     Everything  was  put  by  except 


9G  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

his  knife,  and  this,  drawn  from  his  tanga,  was  now  held 
tightly  in  his  grasp. 

"What  mean  you,  Munday?"  inquired  Trevannion,  ob- 
serving with  some  anxiety  the  actions  of  the  Indian.  "  Sure- 
ly ymi  are  not  going  to  attack  the  monster?  With  such  a 
poor  weapon  you  would  have  no  chance,  even  supposing  you 
could  get  within  striking  distance  before  being  swallowed  up. 
Don't  think  of  such  a  thing!  " 

''Not  with  this  weapon,  patron,"  replied  the  Indian,  hold- 
ing up  the  knife  ;  "  though  even  with  it  the  Mundurucu 
would  not  fear  to  tight  the  jacare^  and  kill  him,  too.  Then 
the  brute  would  go  to  the  bottom  of  the  Gapo,  taking  me 
along.  I  don't  want  a  ducking  like  that,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  chances  of  being  drowned.  I  must  settle  the  account 
on  the  surface." 

"  My  brave  fellow,  don't  be  imprudent !  It  is  too  great 
a  risk.  Let  us  stay  here  till  morning.  Night  will  bring  a 
change,  and  the  reptile  will  go  off." 

"  Patron  !  the  Mundurucu  thinks  differently.  That  jacare" 
is  a  man-eater,  strayed  from  some  of  the  villages,  perhaps 
Coary,  that  we  have  lately  left.  It  has  tasted  man's  blood, 
—  even  ours,  that  of  your  son,  your  own.  It  sees  men  in 
the  tree.  It  will  not  retire  till  it  has  gratified  its  ravenous 
desires.  We  may  stay  in  this  tree  till  we  starve,  and  from 
feebleness  drop,  one  by  one,  from  the  branches." 

"  Let  us  try  it  for  one  night  ?  " 

"  No,  patron,"  responded  the  Indian,  his  eyes  kindling 
with  a  revengeful  fire,  "not  for  one  hour.  The  Mundurucu 
was  willing  to  obey  you  in  what  related  to  the  duty  for 
which  you  hired  him.  He  is  no  longer  a  tapuyo.  The  gala- 
tea  is  lost,  the  contract  is  at  an  end,  and  now  he  is  free  to 
do  what  he  may  please  with  his  life.  Patron ! "  continued 
the  old  man,  with  an  energy  that  resembled  returning  youth, 
"my  tribe  would  spurn  me  from  the  malocca  if  I  bore  it 
any  longer.     Either  I  or  the  jacare  must  die !  " 


A  BIDE  UPON  A   REPTILE.  97 

Silenced  by  the  singularity  of  the  Indian's  sentiment  and 
speech,  Trevannion  forbore  further  opposition.  No  one 
knew  exactly  what  his  purpose  was,  though  his  attitude  and 
actions  led  all  to  believe  that  he  meant  to  attack  the  jacare. 
With  his  knife  ?  No.  He  had  negatived  this  question  him- 
self.  How  then  ?  There  appeared  to  be  no  other  weapon 
within  reach.  But  there  was,  and  his  companions  soon  saw 
there  was,  as  they  sat  silently  watching  his  movements. 
The  knife  was  only  used  as  the  means  of  procuring  that 
weapon,  which  soon  made  its  appearance  in  the  form  of  a 
macana,  or  club,  cut  from  one  of  the  llianas,  —  a  bauhinia 
of  heaviest  wood,  shaped  something  after  the  fashion  of  a 
"  life-preserver,"  with  a  heavy  knob  of  the  creeper  forming 
its  head,  and  a  shank  about  two  feet  long,  tapering  towards 
the  handle.  Armed  with  this  weapon,  and  restoring  the 
knife  to  his  tanga,  the  Indian  came  down  and  glided  out 
along  the  horizontal  limb  already  known  to  our  story.  To 
attract  the  reptile  thither  was  not  difficult.  His  presence 
would  have  been  a  sufficient  lure,  but  some  broken  twigs 
cast  upon  the  water  served  to  hasten  its  approach  to  the 
spot.  In  confidence  the  jacare  came  on,  believing  that  by 
some  imprudence,  or  misadventure,  at  least  one  of  those  it 
had  marked  for  its  victims  was  about  to  drop  into  its  hungry 
maw.  One  did  drop,  —  not  into  its  maw,  or  its  jaws,  b,ut 
upon  its  back,  close  up  to  the  swell  of  its  shoulders.  Look- 
ing down  from  the  tree,  his  companions  saw  the  Mundurucii 
astride  upon  the  alligator,  with  one  hand,  the  left,  apparently 
inserted  into  the  hollow  socket  of  the  reptile's  eye,  the  other 
raised  aloft,  grasping  the  macana,  that  threatened  to  descend 
upon  the  skull  of  the  jacare.  It  did  descend,  —  crack  !  — 
crash !  —  crackle  !  After  that  there  was  not  much  to  re- 
cord. The  Mundurucu  was  compelled  to  slide  off  his  seat. 
The  huge  saurian,  with  its  fractured  skull,  yielded  to  a 
simple  physical  law,  turned  over,  showing  its  belly  of  yellow- 
isli  white,  —  an  aspect  not  a  whit  more  lovely  than  that  pre- 


98  AFLOAT  IN   THE   FOREST. 

sentod  in  its  dark  dorsal  posterior.  If  not  dead,  there  could 
be  no  doubt  that  the  jacare*  was  no  longer  dangerous  ;  and 
as  its  conqueror  returned  to  the  tree,  he  was  received  with 
a  storm  of  "  Vivas,"  to  which  Tipperary  Tom  added  his  en- 
thusiastic Irish  "  Hoor-raa  !  " 


CHAPTER   XXXII. 

TAKING    TO    TIIE    WATER. 

THE  Mundurucii  merited  congratulation,  and  his  compan- 
ions could  not  restrain  their  admiration  and  wonder. 
They  knew  that  the  alligator  was  only  assailable  by  ordinary 
weapons  —  as  gun,  spear,  or  harpoon  —  in  three  places  ;  in 
the  throat,  unprotected,  except  by  a  thin,  soft  integument; 
in  the  hollow  in  front  of  the  shoulders,  and  immediately  be- 
hind the  bony  socket  of  the  eyes ;  and  in  the  eyes  them- 
selves,—  the  latter  being  the  most  vulnerable  of  all.  Why 
had  the  Indian,  armed  with  a  knife,  not  chosen  one  of 
these  three  places  to  inflict  a  mortal  cut  or  stab? 

"  Patron,"  said  the  Indian,  as  soon  as  he  had  recovered 
his  breath,  "you  wonder  why  the  Mundurucii  took  all  that 
trouble  for  a  macana,  while  he  might  have  killed  the  jacare* 
without  it.  True,  the  knife  was  weapon  enough.  Pa  terra  ! 
Yes.  But  it  would  not  cause  instant  death.  The  rascal 
could  dive  with  both  eyes  scooped  out  of  their  sockets,  and 
live  for  hours  afterwards.  Ay,  it  could  have  carried  me 
twenty  miles  through  the  Gapo,  half  the  distance  under  wa- 
ter. Where  would  old  Munday  have  been  then  ?  Drowned 
and  dead,  long  before  the  jacare  itself.  Ah,  patron,  a  good 
knock  on  the  hollow  of  its  head  is  the  best  way  to  settle 
scores  with  a  jacare." 


TAKING   TO   THE   WATER.  99 

And  as  if  all  scores  had  been  now  settled  with  this  fellow, 
the  huge  saurian,  to  all  appearance  dead,  passed  unheeded  oat 
of  sight,  the  current  of  the  Gapo  drifting  it  slowly  away. 
They  did  not  wait  for  its  total  disappearance,  and  while  its 
hideous  body,  turned  belly  upward,  with  its  human-like  hands 
stiffly  thrust  above  the  surface,  was  yet  in  sight,  they  resumed 
their  preparations  for  vacating  a  tenement  of  which  all  were 
heartily  tired,  with  that  hopeful  expectancy  which  springs 
from  a  knowledge  that  the  future  cannot  be  worse  than  the 
present.  Richard  had  reported  many  curious  trees,  some 
bearing  fruits  that  appeared  to  be  eatable,  strung  with  llianas, 
here  and  there  forming  a  network  that  made  it  easy  to  find 
comfort  among  their  branches.  If  there  had  been  nothing 
else  to  cheer  them,  the  prospect  of  escaping  from  their  irk- 
some attitudes  was  of  itself  sufficient ;  and  influenced  by  this, 
they  eagerly  prepared  for  departure. 

As  almost  everything  had  been  already  arranged  for  fer- 
rying the  party,  very  little  remained  to  be  done.  From  the 
hermetically  closed  monkey-cups  the  Mundurucu  had  manu- 
factured five  swimming-belts,  —  this  number  being  all  that 
was  necessary,  for  he  and  the  young  Paraense  could  swim 
ten  times  the  distance  without  any  adventitious  aid.  The 
others  had  their  share  of  empty  shells  meted  out  according 
to  their  weight  and  need  of  help.  Rosa's  transport  required 
particular  attention.  The  others  could  make  way  them- 
selves, but  Rosa  was  to  be  carried  across  under  the  safe  con- 
duct of  the  Indian. 

So  when  every  contingency  had  been  provided  for,  one 
after  another  slipped  down  from  the  fork,  and  quietly  de- 
parted from  a  tree  that,  however  uncomfortable  as  a  resi- 
dence, had  yet  provided  them  with  a  refuge  in  the  hour  of 
danger. 


100  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

CHAPTER   XXXIII. 

A    HALF-CHOKED    SWIMMER. 

MUNDAY  led  off,  towing  little  Rosa  after  him  by  a  ' 
sipo,  one  end  fastened  to  bis  girdle,  and  the  other 
around  her  waist.     Trevannion  followed  close  bebind,  Ralph 
a  little  farther  off,  with  Richard  keeping  abreast  of  bis  cousin 
and  helping  him  along.     Mozey  swam  next ;  Tipperary  Tom, 
who  was  last  to  leave  the  tree,  brought  up  the  rear.     The 
ouistiti  had  found  a  berth  on  the  shoulders  of  young  Ralph, 
who,  buoyed  up  by  a  good  supply  of  air-vessels,  swam  with 
his  back   above  wafer.     As.  for  the  macaw  and  coaita,  the 
desperate  circumstances  in  which  our  adventurers  were  placed 
rendered  it  not  only  inconvenient,  but  out  of  the  question,  to 
trouble  themselves  with  such  pets ;  and  it  had  been  agreed 
that  they  must  be   abandoned.      Both,  therefore,  were  left 
upon  the  tree.     With  the  macaw  it  was  a  matter  of  choice 
whether  it  should  stay  there.     By  simply  spreading  out  its 
great  hyacinthine  wings  it  could  keep  pace  with  its  ci-devant 
protectors ;  and  they  had  hardly  left  the  tree,  when  the  bird, 
giving  a  loud  scream,  sprang  from  its  perch,  hovered  a  mo- 
ment in  the  air,  and  then,  flying  down,  alighted  on  Mozey's 
wool-covered  cranium,  making  him  hide  his  astonished  head 
quickly  under  water.     The  arara,  affrighted  at  having  wetted 
its  feet,  instantly  essayed  to  soar  up  again  ;  but  its  curving 
talons,  that  had  clutched  too  eagerly  in  the  descent,  had  be- 
come fixed,  and  all  its  attempts  to  detach  them  were  in  vain. 
The  more  it  struggled,  the  tighter  became  the  tangle ;  while 
its  screams,  united  with  the  cries  of  the  negro,  pealed  over 
tbe  water,  awaking  far  echoes  in  the  forest.     It  was  some- 
time before    Mozey  succeeded  in  untwisting  the  snarl  that 
the  arara  had  spun  around  its  legs,  and  not  until  he  had 
sacrificed  several  of  his  curls  was  the  bird  free  to  trust  once 
more  to  its  wins;.'?. 


A  HALF-CHOKED   SWIMMER.  101 

We  have  said,  that  by  some  mystic  influence  the  big 
monkey  had  become  attached  to  Tipperary  Tom,  and  the 
attachment  was  mutual.  Tom  had  not  taken  his  departure 
from  the  tree  without  casting  more  than  one  look  of  regret 
back  among  the  branches,  and  under  any  other  circumstances 
he  would  not  have  left  the  coaita  behind  him.  It  was  only 
in  obedience  to  the  inexorable  law  of  self-preservation  that 
he  had  consented  to  the  sacrifice.  The  monkey  had  shown 
equal  relifctance  at  parting,  in  looks,  cries,  and  gestures. 
It  had  followed  its  friend  down  to  the  fork,  and  after  he  had 
slipped  into  the  water  it  appeared  as  if  it  wTould  follow  him, 
regardless  of  both  instinct  and  experience,  for  it  could  not 
swim.  These,  however,  proved  strong  enough  to  restrain  its 
imprudence,  and  after  its  protector  had  gone  it  stood  trem- 
bling and  chattering  in  accents  that  proclaimed  the  agony 
of  that  unexpected  separation.  Any  one  listening  attentively 
to  its  cries  might  have  detected  in  the  piteous  tones  the 
slightest  commingling  of  reproach.  How  could  it  be  other- 
wise to  be  thus  deserted  ?  Left  to  perish,  in  fact ;  for  al- 
though the  coaita  was  perfectly  at  home  upon  the  sapucaya, 
and  could  live  there  as  long  as  the  nuts  lasted,  there  was 
not  the  slightest  chance  of  its  getting  away  from  the  tree. 
It  must  stay  there  till  the  vasante,  till  the  flood  fell,  and  that 
would  not  be  for  months.  Long  before  that  it  must  un- 
doubtedly perish,  either  by  drowning  or  starvation. 

Whether  or  not  these  unpleasant  forebodings  passed 
through  the  monkey's  wits,  and  whether  they  nerved  it, 
may  never  be  known.  Certainly  something  seemed  to  stimu- 
late the  creature  to  determination ;  for  instead  of  standing 
any  longer  shivering  in  the  fork  of  the  tree,  it  turned  sud- 
denly, and,  darting  up  the  trunk,  ran  out  upon  one  of  the 
horizontal  branches.  To  go  directly  from  the  sapucaya  to  the 
forest,  it  was  necessary  to  pass  under  this  limb ;  and  Tip- 
perary Tom,  following  in  the  wake  of  the  others,  had  taken 
this  track.     He  was  already  far  out  from  the  stem  of  the 


102  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

tree,  almost  clear  of  the  overhanging  branches,  and  half 
oblivious  of  the  painful  parting,  when  a  heavy  body,  pouncing 
upon  his  shoulders,  caused  both  him  and  his  empty  shells 
to  sink  some  feet  under  tbe  water;  for  just  like  old  Munday 
on  the  alligator  had  the  monkey  conic  down  upon  Tipperary 
Tom.  The  affrighted  Irishman,  on  rising  to  the  surface, 
sputtered  forth  a  series  of  cries,  at  the  same  time  endeavor- 
ing to  rid  himself  of  the  unexpected  rider  on  his  back.  It 
was  just  at  this  crisis,  too,  that  the  macaw  had  managed  to 
make  good  its  footing  in  the  fleece  of  the  negro.  Mozey, 
however,  was  the  first  to  get  clear  of  his  incubus ;  and  then 
all  eyes  were  directed  towards  Tipperary  Tom  and  the 
clinging  coaita,  while  peals  of  laughter  resounded  from  every 
lip. 

Mozey  had  enfranchised  himself  by  sacrificing  a  few  tufts 
of  his  woolly  hair,  but  the  task  was  not  so  easy  for  Tom.  In 
fact,  it  proved  altogether  impracticable  ;  for  the  coaita  had 
curled  its  prehensile  tail  around  his  neck  in  a  knot  that 
would  have  made  a  hangman  envious.  The  more  be  tugged 
at  it,  the  more  it  tightened  ;  and  had  the  Irishman  been  left 
to  himself,  it  would  have  no  doubt  ended  in  his  being 
strangled  outright,  a  fate  he  began  to  dread.  At  this  crisis 
he  heard  the  Mundurucii  shout  to  him  across  the  water  to 
leave  the  coaita  alone,  as  then  it  would  relax  its  hold.  For- 
tunately for  himself,  Tom  had  the  prudence  to  obey  this 
well-timed  counsel ;  and  although  still  half  suffocated  by  the 
too  cordial  embrace  of  his  pet,  he  permitted  it  to  have  its 
own  way,  until,  having  approached  the  forest,  the  monkey 
relaxed  its  hold,  and  sprang  up  among  the  branches-. 


A  SUPPER  ON  BROILED  SQUAB.  103 

CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

A   SUPPER    ON   BROILED    SQUAB. 

GUIDED  by  the  Mundurucii,  the  swimmers  entered  the 
water  arcade  before  described,  and  proceeded  on  to 
the  tree  that  had  furnished  the  caoutchouc  for  their  swim- 
ming-belts. The  siphonia,  so  late  the  scene  of  strife  and 
querulous  complainings,  was  now  silent  as  the  tomb ;  not  a 
living  arara  was  in  sight  or  within  hearing.  The  few  old 
birds  that  had  survived  the  club  conflict  had  forsaken  the 
spot,  betaking  themselves  to  some  distant  part  of  the  forest, 
perhaps  out  of  the  Gapo  altogether,  to  mourn  over  nests 
laid  desolate,  over  chicks  seized  and  instantly  destroyed  by 
ruthless  hands.  Only  the  young  were  there,  suspended  in 
a  bunch  from  the  branches.  The  Mundurucii  mounted  first, 
taking  his  charge  along  with  him ;  and  then  all  the  others 
climbed  up  into  the  tree,  where  the  macaw  and  the  monkey 
—  one  upon  wing,  the  other  by  a  passage  through  the  tree- 
tops  in  speed  almost  equalling  the  flight  of  a  bird  —  had 
already  arrived. 

Farther  progress  for  that  night  was  no  part  of  their  pur- 
pose. It  would  have  been  as  idle  as  imprudent.  The  sun 
was  already  level  with  their  gaze,  and  to  have  forsaken  their 
perch  at  that  hour  would  have  been  like  leaving  a  good  inn 
for  the  doubtful  chances  of  the  road.  The  seringa,  with  its 
thickly  trelliscd  limbs,  offered  snug  quarters.  Upon  its  netr 
work  of  parasites  it  was  possible  to  repose ;  there  were  ham- 
mocks woven  by  the  hand  of  Nature,  and,  rude  as  they 
might  be,  they  were  a  pleasant  improvement  on  their  couches 
of  the  preceding  night. 

The  tree  contained  other  proofs  of  its  hospitality.  The 
fat  fledglings  suspended  upon  it  promised  a  supper  not  to  be 
despised ;  for  none  of  the  party  was  a  stranger  to  macaw 


104  AFLOAT  IN   THE  FOREST. 

flesh,  and,  as  these  were  young  and  tender,  eyes  sparkled  and 
mouths  watered  on  beholding  them.  No  one  expected  that 
they  were  to  be  eaten  raw,  though  there  was  more  than  one 
in  the  party  whose  appetite  had  become  sharp  enough  for 
this.  The  Mundurucii  would  have  shown  but  slight  squeam- 
ishnesa  at  swallowing  one  of  the  squabs  as  it  was,  while  to 
Mozey  it  would  have  signified  less.  Even  Tipperary  Tom 
declared  his  readiness  to  set  about  supping  without  further 
preparation. 

The  semi-cannibal  appetites  of  his  companions  were  con- 
trolled by  Trevannion,  who  commenced  talking  of  a  fire. 
How  was  it  to  be  made  ?  How  could  the  chicks  be  cooked  ? 
His  questions  did  not  remain  long  unanswered.  The  Indian, 
eager  to  meet  the  wishes  of  his  employer,  promised  that  they 
should  be  gratified. 

"  Wait  a  bit,  patron,"  said  he.  "  In  ten  minutes'  time  you 
shall  have  what  you  want,  a  fire ;  in  twenty,  roast  arara." 

"But  how?"  asked  the  patron.  "We  have  no  flint  nor 
steel,  any  of  us  ;  and  if  we  had,  where  find  the  tinder  ?  " 

"  Yonder  !  "  rejoined  the  Mundurucii.  "  You  see  yonder 
tree  on  the  other  side  of  the  igarape  ?  " 

"  That  standing  out  by  itself,  with  smooth,  shining  bark, 
and  hoary,  handlike  leaves  ?     Yes,  I  see  it.     What  of  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  the  embaiiba,  patron  ;  the  tree  that  feeds  the  lazy 
sloth,  the  At" 

"  0,  then  it  is  that  known  as  the  Cecropia  peltata.  True, 
its  crown  of  peltate  leaves  declares  the  species.  But  we  were 
talking  of  fire,  Munday.  Can  you  obtain  it  from  the  cecro- 
pia? " 

"  In  ten  minutes,  patron,  the  Mundurucii  will  draw  sparks 
from  that  tree,  and  make  a  fire  too,  if  he  can  only  obtain 
from  it  a  dry  branch,  one  without  sap,  decayed,  dead.  You 
shall  see." 

So  saying,  he  swam  out  towards  the  cecropia.  On  reach- 
ing this,  he  scaled  it  like  a  squirrel,  and  was  soon  among  its 


A   SUPPER   ON  BROILED  SQUAB.  105 

silvery  fronds,  that  spread  palm-like  over  the  water.  Soon 
the  snapping  of  a  breaking  branch  was  heard,  and  shortly  af- 
ter the  Indian  came  gliding  down  the  tree,  and,  holding  the 
piece  of  cecropia  above  his  head,  swam  with  one  hand  towards 
the  caoutchouc,  which  he  once  more  ascended.  On  rejoining 
his  companions,  they  saw  that  the  stick  he  had  secured  was 
a  bit  of  dry,  dead  wood,  light,  and  of  porous  texture,  just 
such  as  might  be  easily  ignited.  Not  caring  to  make  any 
secret  of  his  design,  he  confirmed  his  companions  in  their 
conjecture  by  informing  them  that  the  embauba  was  the  wood 
always  employed  by  his  people,  as  well  as  the  other  tribes  in 
Amazonia,  when  they  wished  to  make  a  fire ;  and  saying 
this,  he  proceeded  without  further  delay  to  make  them  ac- 
quainted with  the  proper  way.  Strange  to  say,  it  proved  to 
be  the  friction  process,  often  described  as  practised  in  remote 
corners  of  the  world,  and  by  savage  tribes  who  could  never 
have  held  the  slightest  communication  with  one  another. 
Who  taught  them  this  curious  mode  of  creating  fire  ?  Who 
inducted  the  Indian  of  the  Amazon,  and  the  aboriginal  of 
Borneo,  into  the  identical  ideas  of  the  sumpitan  and  gradatd- 
n(Z}  —  both  blow-guns  alike  ?  Who  first  instructed  mankind 
in  the  use  of  the  bow  ?  Was  it  instinct  ?  Was  it  wisdom 
from  on  high  ? 

While  Trevannion  was  reflecting  on  this  strange  theme, 
the  Mundurucu  had  shaped  a  long  spindle  from  a  slender 
branch  which  he  had  cut  from  some  hard  wood  growing  near ; 
and,  whirling  it  between  the  palms  of  his  hands,  in  less  than 
ten  minutes,  as  he  had  promised,  sparks  appeared  in  the 
hollowed  stick  of  the  cecropia.  Dry  leaves,  twigs,  and  bark 
had  been  already  collected,  and  with  these  a  flame  was  pro- 
duced, ending  in  a  fire,  that  soon  burned  brightly  in  one  of 
the  forks  of  the  seringa.  Over  this  the  young  macaws,  sup- 
ported on  spits,  were  soon  done  brown ;  and  a  supper  of 
roast  arara,  with  parched  sapucaya  nuts,  proved  anything  but 
a  despicable  meal  to  the  party  who  partook  of  it. 

5* 


10G  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

« 

CHAPTER  XXXV. 

ONCE   MORE   IN   THE    WATER. 

OUR  adventurers  passed  a  tolerable  night  among  the  sipos 
of  the  seringa.  They  might  have  slept  more  soundly 
but  for  apprehensions  about  the  future  that  intruded  even 
into  their  dreams.  Morning  brought  no  relief,  for  then  real- 
ity itself  appeared  ruder  than  the  visions  of  fancy  iu  their 
slumbers.  They  had  cold  macaw  for  breakfast,  —  remains 
of  the  preceding  night's  roast,  which  had  been  kept  up  as  long 
as  the  fire  was  alight,  and  carefully  preserved,  to  serve  for  a 
future  occasion.  It  was  just  sunrise,  and  as  soon  as  the  meal 
was  over,  they  consulted  seriously  how  to  extricate  them- 
selves from  their  unpleasant  and  perilous  position,  —  how  to 
work  a  deliverance  from  the  jaws  of  the  Gapo.  Whereabouts 
in  this  strange  region  were  they  ?  How  far  had  they  en- 
tered it  ?  They  could  not  even  frame  a  guess  of  the  dis- 
tance traversed  by  the  galatea  before  she  had  come  to  grief 
in  the  fork  of  the  sapucaya.  It  might  be  twenty  miles,  it 
might  be  fifty ;  who  could  tell  ?  They  only  knew  that  the 
ill-fated  vessel  had  been  drifting  away  from  the  Solimoes,  and 
deep  into  the  solitudes  of  the  Gapo.  They  knew  they  must 
be  many  miles  from  the  banks  of  the  Solimoes,  and,  from  his 
hydrographic  knowledge,  already  tested,  the  old  tapuyo 
could  tell  its  direction.  But  it  was  no  longer  a  question 
of  getting  back  to  the  channel  of  the  great  river.  On  the 
contrary,  the  object  now  was  to  reach  solid  land.  It  would 
be  worse  than  idle  to  seek  the  Solimoes  without  the  means  of 
navigating  it ;  for,  even  should  the  stream  be  reached,  it 
would  be  one  chance  in  a  thousand  to  get  within  hail  of  a 
passing  vessel.  Almost  as  well  might  such  be  looked  for  iu 
the  middle  of  the  Atlantic  Ocean.  They  were  now  bent  on 
discovering  the  shortest  route  to  the  mainland  that  bordered 


ONCE  MORE  IN  THE  WATER.  107 

this  inundated  region.  This  should  be  found  in  the  direction 
opposite  to  that  in  which  the  river  lay.  It  might  not,  but 
the  probabilities  were  in  favor  of  that  hypothesis.  They  had 
but  little  difficulty  in  determining  the  way  to  take.  The 
index  already  pointed  out  by  the  Indian  was  still  to  be  de- 
pended upon. 

The  echente  was  still  going  on.  The  current  was  from 
the  river,  if  not  with  absolute  directness,  yet  with  enough 
to  point  out  the  bearing  of  the  Solimoes.  The  land  might 
be  many  miles  distant,  —  farther  than  the  river  itself,  —  but 
there  was  no  alternative  but  to  reach  it  or  die.  But  how 
reach  It  ?  That  was  the  question.  They  could  hardly  hope 
to  swim  the  whole  distance,  for  it  must  be  great.  A  raft? 
This  too  was  talked  of.  But  how  was  a  raft  to  be  construct- 
ed ?  Among  the  tops  of  those  water-loving  trees  there  could 
scarce  be  found  a  stick  light  enough  to  have  floated  itself,  let 
alone  the  carrying  of  a  ponderous  cargo.  Out  of  such  heavy 
timber  there  would  be  but  little  chance  of  their  constructing 
a  raft,  and  the  idea  was  abandoned  almost  as  soon  as 
broached.  But  Munday's  proposal  met  the  approbation  of 
all.  The  water-arcade  chanced  to  continue  in  the  direction 
they  should  take.  Why  not  once  more  make  use  of  the 
swimming-belts,  that  had  already  done  such  good  service, 
and  effect  a  further  exploration  of  the  flooded  forest?  The 
proposition  was  too  reasonable  to  be  rejected.  It  was  unani- 
mously accepted ;  and,  without  more  ado,  our  adventurers 
descended  from  the  siphonia,  and  began  to  traverse  the  strait. 
The  macaw  and  monkey  kept  their  company  as  before,  but 
no  longer  needed  to  make  themselves  a  burden  to  their  pro- 
tectors, since  both  could  travel  through  the  tree-tops  as  the 
swimmers  passed  below. 


108  AFLOAT  IN  THE   FOREST. 

CHAPTER   XXXVI. 

THE    IGARA'rE 

TIIEY  needed  no  pilot  to  point  out  their  course.  There 
could  be  no  danger  of  straying  from  it.  The  strait  they 
were  following  was  of  that  kind  known  as  an  igardpe,  which, 
in  the  language  of  the  Amazonian  Indian,  means  literally 
"the  path  of  the  canoe,"  —  igarite  being  the  name  of  the 
craft  most  used  in  the  navigation  of  the  Gapo.  The  strait 
itself  might  have  been  likened  to  a  canal,  running  through  a 
thicket,  which  formed  on  both  sides  a  colossal  hedge,  laced 
together  by  an  impenetrable  network  of  parasitical  plants. 
Unlike  a  canal,  however,  it  was  not  of  uniform  breadth,  here 
and  there  widening  into  little  openings  that  resembled  lakes, 
and  again  narrowing  until  the  tree-tops  stretching  from  each 
side  touched  one  another,  forming  underneath  a  cool,  shadowy 
arcade. 

Up  this  singular  water-way  our  adventurers  advanced, 
under  the  guidance  of  the  bordering  line  of  verdure.  Their 
progress  was  necessarily  slow,  as  the  two  who  could  swim 
well  were  compelled  to  assist  the  others ;  but  all  were  aided 
by  a  circumstance  that  chanced  to  be  in  their  favor,  —  the 
current  of  the  Gapo,  which  was  going  in  the  same  direction 
with  themselves.  Herein  they  were  greatly  favored,  for  the 
flow  of  the  flood  corresponded  very  nearly  with  the  course  of 
the  igarape  ;  and,  as  they  advanced,  they  might  have  fancied 
themselves  drifting  down  the  channel  of  some  gently  flowing 
stream.  The  current,  however,  was  just  perceptible ;  and 
though  it  carried  them  along,  it  could  not  be  counted  on  for  any 
great  speed.  With  it  and  their  own  exertions  they  were  en- 
abled to  make  about  a  mile  an  hour ;  and  although  this  rate 
might  seem  intolerably  slow,  they  were  not  discontented,  since 
they  believed  themselves  to  be  going  in  the  right  direction. 


THE  IGARAPE.  109 

Had  they  been  castaways  in  mid-ocean,  the  case  would  have 
been  different.  Such  tardy  travelling  would  have  been 
hopeless;  but  it  was  otherwise  in  the  forest  sea  that  sur- 
rounded them.  On  one  side  or  the  other  they  could  not  be 
more  than  fifty  miles  from  real  dry  land,  and  perhaps  much 
less.  By  going  right,  they  might  reasonably  hope  to  reach 
it,  though  detained  upon  the  way.  It  was  of  the  utmost  im- 
portance, however,  that  the  direction  should  be  known  and 
followed.  A  route  transverse  to  it  might  take  them  a  thou- 
sand miles,  either  way,  through  a  flooded  forest,  —  westward 
almost  to  the  foot  of  the  Andes,  —  eastward  to  the  mouth  of 
the  Amazon !  The  experienced  tapuyo,  knowing  all  this, 
was  extremely  cautious  in  choosing  the  course  they  were  now 
pursuing.  He  did  not  exactly  keep  in  the  line  indicated  by 
the  flow  of  the  flood.  Although  the  echente  was  still  going 
on,  he  knew  that  its  current  could  not  be  at  right  angles  to 
that  of  the  river,  but  rather  obliqued  to  it ;  and  in  swim- 
ming onward  he  made  allowance  for  this  oblique,  the  igarape 
fortunately  trending  at  a  similar  inclination. 

Several  hours  were  spent  in  slowly  wending  along  their 
watery  way,  the  swimmers  occasionally  taking  a  rest,  stretched 
along  the  surface  of  the  water,  supported  by  hanging  llianas 
or  the  drooping  branches  of  the  trees.  At  noon,  however,  a 
longer  halt  was  proposed  by  the  guide,  to  which  his  follow- 
ers gladly  gave  consent.  All  were  influenced  by  a  double 
desire,  —  to  refresh  themselves  not  only  by  a  good  rest,  but 
by  making  a  meal  on  the  cold  roast  macaws,  several  of  which 
were  strapped  upon  the  shoulders  of  the  tapuyo.  A  tree 
with  broad,  spreading  branches  offered  a  convenient  place, 
and,  climbing  into  it,  they  took  their  seats  to  await  the  dis- 
tribution of  the  dinner,  which  was  committed  to  the  care  of 
the  ex-steward,  Mozey. 


110  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

ABOUT    HUMMING-BIRDS. 

PREVIOUS  to  ascending  their  dining-tree,  the  swimmers 
had  been  more  than  six  hours  in  the  water,  and,  as 
nearly  as  they  could  guess,  had  made  about  that  number  of 
miles.  They  congratulated  themselves  on  having  met  with 
no  hostile  inhabitants  of  the  Gapo,  for  the  jararaca  and  ja- 
care,  with  the  perils  encountered  while  in  the  presence  of 
these  two  dangerous  reptiles,  wTere  fresh  enough  in  their  re- 
membrance to  inspire  them  with  continual  fear.  All  along 
the  way,  the  Indian  had  been  constantly  upon  the  alert. 
Nothing  had  occurred  to  cause  them  alarm,  though  many 
strange  sounds  had  been  heard,  and  strange  creatures  had 
been  seen.  Most  of  these,  however,  were  of  a  character  to 
cheer  rather  than  affright  them.  The  sounds  were  mostly 
musical,  —  the  voices  of  birds,  —  Avhile  the  creatures  seen 
were  the  birds  themselves,  many  of  beautiful  forms  and 
bright  plumage,  perched  upon  the  tree-tops,  or  winging  their 
way  overhead.  Conspicuous  among  them  were  the  tiny 
winged  creatures  called  humming-birds,  with  which  the  Gapo 
abounded.  During  their  swim  they  had  seen  several  dis- 
tinct species  of  these  lovely  little  sprites,  flashing  like  mete- 
ors over  the  surface  of  the  water,  or  darting  about  through 
the  tree-tops  like  sparks  of  glistening  light.  They  appeared 
to  be  the  gnomes  and  elves  of  the  place. 

While  eating  dinner,  our  adventurers  were  favored  with 
an  excellent  opportunity  of  observing  the  habits  of  these 
graceful  and  almost  microscopic  creatures.  A  tree  stood 
near,  whose  top  was  surmounted  by  a  parasite,  —  a  species 
of  bignonia,  —  in  full  blossom,  that  with  its  array  of  sweet- 
scented  flowers  completely  covered  the  tree,  almost  con- 
cealing the  green  foliage  underneath.      Over   this  flowery 


ABOUT   HUMMING-BIRDS.  Ill 

spot  hundreds  of  humming-birds  were  hovering,  now  darting 
from  point  to  point,  anon  poised  upon  swiftly'  whirring  wings 
in  front  of  an  open  flower,  their  tiny  beak  inserted  into  the 
corolla,  therefrom  to  extract  the  savory  honey.  There  were 
several  species  of  them,  though  none  of  them  of  large  size,  and 
all  looking  more  like  insects  than  birds.  But  for  the  swift- 
ness of  their  motions,  they  might  have  passed  for  a  swarm  of 
wild  bees  (meliponce)  disporting  themselves  among  the  flowers. 
Ralph  and  Rosa  were  delighted  with  the  spectacle,  though 
it  was  not  new  to  them,  for  the  warmer  valleys  of  the  Andes, 
through  which  they  had  passed  in  approaching  the  head- 
waters of  the  Amazon,  were  the  favorite  habitat  of  the  hum- 
ming-birds, and  there  a  greater  number  of  species  exist  than 
in  Amazonia  itself.  What  was  new  to  them,  however,  and 
to  the  rest  of  the  party  as  well,  was  some  information 
imparted  by  the  tapuyo  while  they  sat  conversing  after  din- 
ner. He  said  that  there  were  two  kinds  of  these  birds, 
which,  although  alike  in  size,  beauty,  bright  plumage,  and 
many  other  respects,  were  altogether  distinct  in  their  habits 
and  ways  of  life.  By  two  kinds  he  did  not  mean  two  spe- 
cies, for  there  were  many,  but  two  sets  of  species,  or  groups, 
as  the  Indian  would  have  called  them,  had  he  been  a  student 
of  ornithology.  One  set,  he  said,  —  and  the  several  species 
then  before  their  eyes  belonged  to  if,  —  lived  upon  the  juice 
of  the  flowers,  and  this  was  their  only  food.  These  fre- 
cmented  such  open  campos  as  those  on  the  southern  side  of 
the  Solimoes,  and  along  the  rivers  running  into  it  from  that 
direction.  They  were  also  common  in  plantations,  and  other 
places  where  clearings  had  been  made,  or  where  the  forest 
was  thin  and  scattering,  because  there  only  could  they  find 
a  sufficiency  of  flowers.  It  was  only  at  times  that  they 
made  excursions  into  the  great  water-forest,  when  some  of 
the  sipo  plants  were  in  blossom,  just  as  the  one  before  them 
was  at  that  time.  The  species  they  saw  did  not  belong  to 
the  Gapo.     They  had  only  strayed  there  upon  a  roving  ex- 


112  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

cursion,  and  would  soon  return  to  the  mainland,  —  tlie  tree- 
less regions.  The  kinds  that  frequented  the  great  forest 
never  went  out  of  it,  and  cared  nothing  ahout  flowers.  If 
seen  hovering  around  a  tree  in  blossom,  it  was  only  be- 
cause they  were  in  pursuit  of  insects,  which  had  been  at- 
tracted thither  in  search  of  the  sweet  juices.  Upon  these 
the  forest  humming-birds  regularly  preyed,  making  their  ex- 
clusive diet  upon  flies,  which  they  caught  as  much  among 
the  foliage  as  the  flowers,  darting  upon  the  insects  whenever 
they  perched  upon  the  leaves,  and  snapping  them  up  either 
from  the  upper  or  under  side.  They  built  their  nests  upon 
the  tips  of  the  palm-leaves,  choosing  the  side  that  was  inward 
towards  the  tree,  from  which  they  suspended  them.  They 
were  purse-shaped,  and  composed  of  fibres  closely  woven 
together  with  a  thick  lining  of  a  fine,  soft  silk-cotton,  taken 
from  the  fruit  of  a  tree  called  samaiima.  They  did  not 
come  much  into  the  sun,  like  the  other  kinds,  but  kept  more 
in  the  shade,  and  might  be  often  met  whirring  about  in  the 
aisles  of  the  forest.  Sometimes  they  would  poise  themselves 
in  the  air,  right  in  front  of  a  person  passing  through  among 
the  tree  trunks,  and,  after  remaining  till  the  intruder's  face 
would  be  within  a  few  feet  of  them,  would  fly  on  in  advance 
of  him,  and  again  come  to  a  pause  in  the  same  way,  repeating 
the  manoeuvre  several  times  in  succession.  All  these  things, 
averred  the  observant  Indian,  made  the  humming-birds  that 
kept  constantly  to  the  forest  very  different  from  those  that 
only  visited  it  upon  occasions,  and  therefore,  in  his  opinion, 
they  were  of  two  distinct  kinds.  And  his  opinion  was  the 
correct  one,  founded  on  observations  already  made  by  the 
ornithologist,  and  which  have  resulted  in  the  classification  of 
the  humming-birds  into  two  great  groups,  the  Trochilince 
and  Phcethornince. 


A   CUL-DE-SAC.  llS 

CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

A    CUL-DE-SAC. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  pleasant  theme  that  formed 
the  subject  of  their  after-dinner  discourse,  it  was  not 
long  continued.  Both  those  who  took  part  in  it  and  those 
who  listened  were  too  anxious  about  their  situation  to  enjoy 
even  the  most  interesting  conversation.  As  soon,  therefore, 
as  they  felt  sufficiently  recruited  by  the  rest,  they  resumed 
their  aquatic  journey.  For  several  hours  they  continued  to 
advance  at  the  same  slow  rate,  without  encountering  any  in- 
cident worthy  of  record.  The  igarape  still  trended  in  a 
straight  line,  with  only  here  and  there  a  slight  turning  to 
one  side  or  the  other,  preserving,  however,  the  same  general 
direction,  which  was  northward.  This  they  had  discovered 
on  the  night  before,  not  by  observing  the  polar  star,  which 
is  at  no  time  visible  at  the  equator,  nor  until  you  have 
travelled  several  degrees  to  the  north  of  it.  Even  when 
this  well-known  star  should  be  seen  from  the  low  latitudes 
of  the  torrid  zone,  it  is  usually  obscured  by  the  hazy  film 
extending  along  the  horizon.  "  Sirius  and  other  northern 
constellations  had  guided  them.  As  the  sun  had  been  shin- 
ing throughout  the  whole  of  that  day  as  well  as  the  pre- 
ceding one,  you  may  suppose  there  could  be  no  difficulty 
in  discovering  the  quarter,  within  a  point  or  two  of  the  com- 
pass, at  any  hour  of  the  day.  This  might  be  true  to  any 
one  travelling  in  a  high  latitude,  northern  or  southern,  or 
at  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  anywhere  outside  the  tropics. 
Even  within  the  tropics  it  might  be  done  by  skilful  obser- 
vation, if  the  observer  knew  the  exact  time  of  the  year. 
Trevannion  knew  the  time.  He  knew,  moreover,  that  it 
was  close  upon  the  vernal  equinox,  when  the  sun  was  cross- 
ing the  equatorial  line,  near  to  which  they  were  wandering. 

H 


114  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

For  this  reason,  in  the  meridian  hours  the  great  orb  was  right 
over  their  heads,  and  no  one  —  not  even  a  skilled  astrono- 
mer—  could  have  told  north  from  south,  or  east  from  west. 

Supposing  that  the  igarape  should  not  be  trending  in  the 
same  direction,  but  imperceptibly  departing  from  it  ?  In  that 
case,  during  the  mid-hours  of  the  day  they  could  have  had 
no  guidance  from  the  sky,  and  must  have  suspended  their 
journey  till  the  sun  should  begin  to  sink  towards  the  west, 
and  once  more  make  known  the  points  of  the  compass. 
Fortunately  they  needed  not  to  make  this  delay.  As  al- 
ready observed,  the  flow  of  the  flood  was  the  pilot  to  which 
they  looked  for  keeping  them  in  their  course ;  and,  as  this 
still  ran  with  a  slight  obliquity  in  the  same  direction  as  the 
igarape,  the  latter  could  not  have  departed  from  the  right 
line  upon  which,  they  had  been  advancing.  The  current  had 
been  compared  with  the  points  of  the  compass  that  morning 
before  setting  out.  It  was  a  little  to  the  east  of  north. 
Northward,  then,  was  the  course  of  the  swimmers. 

They  had  drawn  further  inference  from  the  direction  in 
which  the  flood  was  setting.  It  proved  that  they  had 
strayed  from  the  Solimoes  by  its  left  or  northern  bank,  and 
must  now  be  somewhere  among  the  mouths  of  the  great 
river  Japura.  It  was  no  consolation  to  discover  this,  but 
the  contrary.  The  old  tapuyo  only  looked  graver  on  ar- 
riving at  the  conviction  that  such  was  the  case.  He  knew 
that  in  that  direction,  in  the  vast  delta  formed  by  the  un- 
numbered branches  of  the  Japura,  the  Gapo  was  of  great 
width,  extending  far  back  from  the  banks  of  this  remarkable 
river,  and  dry  land  in  that  direction  might  be  at  the  great- 
est distance.  There  was  no  alternative  but  to  keep  on,  and, 
by  deviating  from  the  course  as  little  as  possible,  they 
might  in  due  time  reach  the  limits  of  the  flood.  Actuated 
by  this  impulse  and  its  attendant  hopes,  they  continued  their 
toilsome  journey  along  "  the  path  of  the  canoe." 

We  have  said  that  for  several  hours  they  encountered  no 


A   CUL-DE-SAC.  115 

incident  worthy  of  note.  It  was  not  destined,  however,  for 
that  day's  sun  to  set  before  one  should  arise,  whose  record 
is  not  a  matter  of  choice,  but  necessity,  since  it  exerted  such 
an  influence  on  the  proceedings  of  the  travellers  as  to  cause 
a  complete  change  in  their  mode  of  progression.  What  they 
encountered  was  not  exactly  an  incident,  but  an  obstruction. 
In  other  words,  their  swim  was  suddenly  brought  to  an  end 
by  the  ending  of  the  igarape  ! 

They  had  arrived  at  the  termination  of  this  curious  canal, 
which  all  at  once  came  to  a  cul-de-sac,  the  trees  closing  in  on 
both  sides,  and  presenting  an  impenetrable  front,  that  forbade 
farther  progress.  The  way  was  equally  obstructed  in  every 
other  direction ;  for  on  neither  side  of  the  igarape,  through- 
out its  whole  length,  had  any  opening  been  observed.  At 
first  they  fancied  that  the  water  might  open  again  beyond  the 
obstruction,  but  Munday,  after  penetrating  a  short  distance 
among  the  tree  trunks,  returned  to  declare  his  conviction  that 
the  igarape  was  at  an  end.  Nor  did  it  terminate  by  any  grad- 
ual convergence  of  the  two  lines  of  trees.  On  the  contrary, 
they  came  together  in  an  abrupt  circular  sweep,  —  one  of 
colossal  size,  that  rose  high  above  its  fellows  and  spread  far 
out,  standing  in  the  centre,  like  some  Titanic  guardian  of  the 
forest,  and  seeming  to  say  to  the  igarape,  "  Hitherto  shalt 
thou  come,  but  no  farther !  " 

It  was  of  no  use  remaining  longer  in  the  water  for  that 
day.  Even  had  the  obstruction  not  arisen,  it  was  time  to 
have  suspended  their  exertions.  The  sun  was  sinking  towards 
the  tree-tops,  and  by  the  time  they  could  get  themselves 
snugly  stowed  away,  and  something  ready  for  supper,  it 
would  be  night.  Leaving  other  cares  for  the  morrow,  and 
the  morrow  to  take  care  of  itself,  they  at  once  proceeded  to 
select  their  sleeping-place  for  the  night.  The  colossal  tree 
that  had  come  so  unpleasantly  across  their  track  seemed  to 
oiler  the  very  quarters  they  were  in  search  of;  and,  without 
more  ado,  they  accepted  the  hospitality  of  its  wide-spreading 
branches. 


116  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

CHAPTER   XXXIX. 

THE    BRAZIL-NUTS. 

THE  tree  upon  which  they  had  made  their  roost  was  one 
of  a  species  of  which  they  had  observed  many  during 
the  day.  It  was  the  true  Brazil-nut  (Bertholletia  exceha), 
own  cousin  to  the  sapucaya ;  for  both  are  of  the  same  family, 
—  the  Lecythis,  —  of  which  there  are  many  distinct  mem- 
bers. Like  the  sapucaya,  it  is  a  denizen  of  the  low  lands 
and  flooded  forests,  growing  to  a  stupendous  height.  It  pro- 
duces large,  showy  flowers,  which  are  succeeded  by  huge  cap- 
sule-like pericarps,  each  enclosing  a  score  or  more  of  Brazil- 
nuts.  But  though  the  flowers  are  followed  by  the  fruits, 
these  do  not  all  come  together;  and,  like  the  orange  and 
other  tropical  trees,  bud,  blossom,  and  fruit  may  all  be  ob- 
served upon  the  same  branch,  in  various  stages  of  develop- 
ment. 

It  need  not  be  said  that  the  nuts  of  the  Bertholletia  form 
one  of  the  commercial  staples  of  Amazonia.  They  are  too 
well  known  to  need  further  description;  for  there  are  few 
dwelling-houses  in  either  Europe  or  America  where  they 
have  not  been  submitted  to  the  squeeze  of  the  nut-crackers. 
In  the  forest,  where  they  are  no  man's  property,  they  are 
collected  by  whoever  chooses  to  take  the  trouble,  but  chiefly 
by  the  Indians  and  half-breeds  who  dwell  on  the  borders 
of  the  Gapo.  The  time  to  gather  the  Brazil-nuts  is  the 
vasante,  or  dry  season,  though  there  are  certain  tribes  of 
savages  that  go  nutting  in  their  canoes  during  the  season  of 
the  echente.  But  the  real  nut  harvest  is  after  the  floods  have 
subsided,  and  the  trees  once  more  stand  upon  dry  land. 
Then  the  whole  malocea  of  Indians,  or  the  inhabitants  of  a 
village,  proceed  in  a  body  to  the  places  where  the  fruits  are 
to  be  found,  scattered  around  the  stems  of  the  tall  trees  that 
have  produced  them. 


THE  BRAZIL  NUTS.  117 

In  gathering  their  crop  the  gleaners  require  to  observe 
certain  precautions,  those  who  go  under  the  trees  covering 
their  heads  with  a  thick  wooden  cap,  resembling  a  helmet, 
lest  the  dropping  of  the  heavy  capsules  —  big  as  a  cannon- 
ball,  and  almost  as  heavy  —  might  crack  a  skull !  For  this 
reason  the  monkeys  of  the  Amazon  forest,  though  crazy  for 
sapucaya  and  Brazil-nuts,  always  give  the  Bertholletia  a  wide 
berth,  never  going  under,  but  around  it,  in  a  circle  whose 
circumference  lies  outside  the  tips  of  the  branches.  Strange 
to  say,  these  creatures  have  no  fear  of  the  sapucaya,  although 
its  pericarps  are  as  large  and  heavy  as  those  of  the  Brazil- 
nuts.  But  the  former  do  not  fall  to  the  ground,  or  when 
they  do,  it  is  only,  after  the  lid  has  sprung  open,  and  the 
huge  cup  has  scattered  its  contents,  leaving  it  a  light  and 
empty  shell.  It  is  for  this  reason,  as  much  as  anything  else, 
that  the  nuts  of  the  sapucaya  are  scarce  in  the  market,  and 
command  a  higher  price.  Having  escaped  spontaneously 
from  their  shell,  they  are  at  the  mercy  of  all  comers,  birds, 
quadrupeds,  and  monkeys ;  whereas  the  Brazil-nuts,  pro- 
tected by  their  thick  woody  pericarps,  are  not  so  easily  ac- 
cessible. Even  the  monkeys  cannot  get  at  them,  until  some 
animal  with  teeth  better  adapted  for  chiselling  performs  for 
them  the  service  of  laying  open  the  box,  and  giving  them  a 
chance  at  the  treasures  contained  within.  This  is  done  by 
several  species  of  rodents,  among  which  the  cutia  and  paca 
are  conspicuous ;  and  one  of  the  most  comical  spectacles  to 
be  seen  in  a  South  American  forest  is  that  of  a  group  of 
monkeys,  watching  from  a  distance  the  proceedings  of  a  paca 
thus  employed,  and  then  springing  forward  to  take  forcible 
possession  of  the  pericarp  after  it  has  been  sufficiently 
opened. 

It  wa3  a  bit  of  good  fortune  that  our  adventurers  found 
lodgings  upon  the  Bertholletia.  Though  more  hospitality 
may  usually  be  met  with  in  an  inn,  it  provided  them  with  at 
least  a  portion  of  their  supper,  —  the  bread-stuff.     They  had 


118  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

still  left  a  brace  of  the  macaw  squabs  that  had  not  been 
roasted  ;  but  Munday,  as  before,  soon  produced  sufficient  fire 
to  give  them  a  scorching,  and  keen  appetites  supplied  salt, 
pepper,  and  sauce. 


CHAPTER   XL. 

A    TRAVELLING    PARTY    OF    GUARIBAS. 

SUPPER  over,  our  adventurers  only  awaited  the  sunset 
to  signal  them  to  their  repose.  They  had  already  se- 
lected their  beds,  or  what  was  to  serve  for  such, —  the  spaces 
of  horizontal  network  formed  by  the  intertwining  of  luxuriant 
llianas.  At  the  best,  it  was  no  better  than  sleeping  upon  a 
naked  hurdle ;  but  they  had  been  already  somewhat  inured  to 
an  uneasy  couch  on  the  galatea,  and  they  were  every  day 
becoming  less  sensitive  to  necessities  and  hardships.  They 
were  all  tired  with  the  severe  exertions  they  had  made ;  for 
although  their  journey  had  been  but  about  six  miles,  it  was 
enough  to  equal  sixty  made  upon  land.  They  felt  as  if  they 
could  go  to  sleep  astride  of  a  limb,  or  suspended  from  a 
branch. 

It  was  not  decreed  by  fate  that  they  should  find  rest  before 
being  made  the  witnesses  of  a  spectacle  so  curious,  that,  had 
they  been  ever  so  much  inclined  for  sleep,  would  have  kept 
them  awake  against  their  will. 

A  noise  heard  afar  off  in  the  forest  attracted  their  atten- 
tion. There  was  nothing  in  it  to  alarm  them,  though  had 
they  not  heard  it  before,  or  something  similar  to  it,  their  fears 
might  have  been  excited  to  the  utmost  pitch  of  terror.  What 
they  heard  was  the  lugubrious  chant  of  a  band  of  howling 
monkeys.  Of  all  the  voices  of  Nature  that  awake  the  echoes 
of  the  Amazonian  forest,  there  is  perhaps  none  so  awe-inspir- 


A  TRAVELLING  PARTY  OF   GUARIBAS.  119 

ing  as  this.  It  is  a  combination  of  sounds,  that  embi'ace  the 
various  tones  of  shrieking,  screaming,  chattering,  growling, 
and  howling,  mingled  with  an  occasional  crash,  and  a  rattle, 
such  as  might  proceed  from  the  throat  of  a  dying  maniac. 
And  yet  all  this  is  often  the  product  of  a  single  mycetes,  or 
howling  monkey,  whose  hollow  hyoidal  bone  enables  him  to 
■  send  forth  every  species  of  sound,  from  the  rolling  of  a  bass 
drum  to  the  sharp  squeak  of  a  penny-whistle. 

"  Guaribas !  "  quietly  remarked  the  Mundurucu,  as  the 
distant  noise  was  first  heard. 

"  Howling  monkeys  you  mean  ?  "  interrogatively  rejoined 
Tievannion. 

"  Yes,  patron,  and  the  loudest  howlers  of  the  whole  tribe. 
You  '11  hear  them  presently.     They  are  coming  this  way." 

"They  're  not  far  off  now,  I  should  say,  if  one  may  judge 
by  the  loudness  of  their  cries." 

"  All  of  a  mile  yet,  patron.  It  proves  that  the  forest 
stretches  more  than  a  mile  in  that  direction,  else  the  guaribas 
could  not  be  there.  If  there  be  open  water  between  us  and 
them,  they  won't  come  this  way.  If  not,  we  '11  have  them 
"here  in  ten  minutes'  time.  I  wish  we  could  only  travel 
among  the  tree-tops  as  they  can.  We  should  n't  stay  long  in 
the  Gapo." 

"  Just  as  the  Mundurucu  expected,"  continued  the  tapuyo, 
after  a  pause.  "  The  guaribas  are  coming  towards  us.  I  can 
hear  the  swishing  of  the  leaves  as  they  pass  among  them. 
We  '11  soon  see  them." 

The  howling  of  the  guaribas  had  for  some  time  ceased,  but 
the  rustling  of  leaves,  with  the  occasional  snapping  of  a  twig, 
to  which  the  Indian  had  directed  the  attention  of  his  com- 
panions, told  that  the  troop  was  travelling  through  the  tree- 
tops,  otherwise  observing  a  profound  silence. 

Soon  they  appeared  in  sight,  suddenly  presenting  them- 
selves upon  a  tall  tree  that  stood  by  the  side  of  the  iga- 
rape,  about  a  cable's  length  from  that  occupied  by  our  ad- 


120 


AFLOAT  IN  THE   FOREST. 


venturers.  For  some  minutes  the  branches  of  the  tree  were 
seen  oscillating  up  and  down,  as  each  black  guariba  sprang 
into  it  :  and  this  continued  until  not  less  than  a  hundred  had 
found  lodgement  upon  the  limbs.  As  the  leader  of  the  band, 
who  was  evidently  chief  of  the  tribe,  caught  sight  of  the 
igarape,  he  was  seen  to  pause  in  an  abrupt  and  ambiguous 


■/.  -     > 


manner,  at  the  same  moment  giving  utterance  to  a  cry,  easily 
intelligible  as  a  word  of  command.  It  had  the  effect  of 
causing  those  immediately  behind  him  to  come  to  a  halt,  as 
also  the  others,  as  they  sprang  successively  into  the  tree. 
There  could  be  no  question  as  to  what  had  caused  the  halt. 
It  was  the  igarape  crossing  the  track  which  the  guaribas  were 
going.  With  them  the  only  question  was,  how  they  were 
to  get  over  it. 


A   TRAVELLING   PARTY   OF   GUARIBAS.  121 

Al  the  point  where  the  howlers  had  clustered  together,  the 
strait  was  narrower  than  elsewhere  within  sight.  Between 
the  branches,  extending  horizontally  from  the  opposite  sides 
of  the  igar&pe,  there  was  a  clear  space  of  about  twenty  feet ; 
and  to  the  spectators  it  appeared  improbable  that  any  animal 
without  wings  could  leap  from  tree  to  tree.  The  monkeys, 
however,  did  not  seem  to  be  of  this  opinion,  but  were  plainly 
contemplating  the  leap;  and  it  was  evident  that  some  of  them 
were  only  restrained  from  taking  it  by  an  authoritative  com- 
mand from  their  chief,  which  held  them  in  check.  For  sev- 
eral minutes  there  was  a  profound  silence  among  them,  un- 
disturbed until  the  stragglers  had  all  arrived  in  the  tree,  and 
squatted  on  the  branches. 

It  was  now  observed  that  among  these  last  were  several 
mothers,  each  carrying  a  child  upon  her  back,  or  embraced 
between  her  bare  arms ;  the  youngster  with  face  upturned, 
clinging,  not  with  teeth  and  toe-nail,  but  with  hands  and  tail, 
to  the  neck  of  its  maternal  parent.  To  these  the  attention 
of  the  whole  tribe  appeared  to  be  directed ;  and  it  was  evi- 
dent that  they  were  the  sole  cause  of  the  difficulty,  —  the  im- 
pedimenta  that  had  interrupted  the  onward  march  of  the  troop. 

There  had  been  confusion,  accompanied  by  some  chatter- 
ing, after  first  coming  up  ;  but  a  sign  from  the  leader  had  put 
an  end  to  all  noise,  and  then  succeeded  the  silence  already 
mentioned.  During  its  continuance  the  guariba  chief  slowly 
ascended  the  tree,  until  he  had  attained  a  position  elevated 
above  all  his  followers.  Then  squatting  down,  with  his  hams 
firmly  planted  upon  a  branch,  his  long  tail  carefully  coiled 
around  another,  he  commenced  his  harangue  with  as  much 
ceremony  as  if  he  had  been  chairman  of  a  Guild-Hail  dinner. 
Perhaps  there  was  quite  as  much  sense  and  eloquence  in  his 
speech  ;  at  all  events,  there  was  more  noise :  for  during  the 
ten  minutes  taken  up  by  it — it  had  the  advantage  of  brevity 
—  no  other  sound  could  have  been  heard  over  the  Gapo  with- 
in the  circuit  of  a  mile. 
6 


122  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

His  address  being  ended,  the  chief,  by  a  series  of  detached 
speeches,  seemed  to  invite  a  reply  from  his  followers,  coaxing 
their  assent,  or  daring  them  to  contradiction.  There  appeared 
to  be  no  dissent,  not  one  voice.  The  chattering  that  respond- 
ed to  the  speech  was  delivered  in  a  tone  that  spoke  unani- 
mous compliance  with  the  proposal  —  whatever  it  was  — 
which  their  chief  had  offered  to  their  consideration. 

Then  ensued  another  interval  of  silence,  much  shorter  than 
before,  and  again  interrupted  by  the  leader  of  the  troop.  This 
time,  however,  his  words  were  few  and  to  the  purpose.  They 
were  pronounced  in  a  tone  of  command,  that  called  for  prompt 
obedience,  which  was  yielded  instantaneously  and  without 
protest. 

One  of  the  strongest  of  the  guaribas  ran  out  upon  the  limb 
overhanging  the  igarape,  and,  stopping  at  its  extremity,  braced 
himself  for  the  leap.  In  another  instant  it  was  made,  and  the 
monkey  was  seen  rushing  up  into  the  tree  on  the  other  side 
of  the  igarape.  A  comrade  followed,  placing  his  four  hands 
in  the  same  spot,  his  body  in  a  similar  attitude,  and  making 
the  leap  so  exactly  like  the  guariba  that  had  preceded  him, 
that  it  seemed  the  same  monkey  repeating  the  performance. 
Then  went  another,  and  another,  so  close  following,  that  the 
creatures  appeared  more  like  the  links  of  some  colossal  but 
quick-moving  chain,  pulled  by  supernatural  power  across  the 
igarape,  than  a  series  of  individual  and  animated  beings. 


o 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

THE     MONKEY     MOTHER. 

UR  adventurers  sat  in  silent  wonder  watching  the  move- 
ments of  the  monkeys.     It  was  certainly  a  spectacle  of 


THE  MONKEY  MOTHER.  123 

the  most  interesting  character  to  see  these  creatures  making 
the  passage  of  the  igarape.  Perhaps  the  most  singular 
thing  was  the  similarity  of  their  leaps,  —  all  planting  their 
feet  upon  the  same  spot  of  the  branch  from  which  the  leader 
sprang,  springing  exactly  in  the  same  way,  and  alighting  on 
the  opposite  side  in  apparently  the  same  spot  and  attitude, 
proving  that  each  and  all  must  have  been  actuated  by  the 
same  thought  or  instinct  at  the  precise  moment  of  passing 
from  one  tree  to  the  other.  Another  singular  point  was,  that 
during  its  continuance  the  intervals  between  each  two  were 
almost  as  regular  as  the  ticking  of  a  clock.  As  soon  as 
one  launched  itself  out  from  the  branch,  another  sprang  into 
its  place,  and  was  ready  to  follow  so  quickly  that  the  air  was 
never  for  a  moment  without  a  monkey  ;  and  any  one  looking 
straight  down  the  opening  between  the  trees,  without  glanc- 
ing to  either  side,  might  almost  have  fancied  that  it  was  a  sin- 
gle guariba  suspended  in  mid-air ! 

All  the  males  of  the  tribe  had  succeeded  in  making  the 
leap  in  safety  ;  and  all  the  females,  too,  —  those  carrying 
their  "  pickaninnies "  along  with  the  rest,  —  except  one. 
This  was  a  mother  with  a  very  young  child  on  her  back,  — 
in  fact  a  mere  infant,  —  perhaps  not  nine  days  old.  Not- 
withstanding its  extreme  youth,  it  appeared  to  comprehend 
the  situation,  as  well  as  those  of  more  mature  age,  clinging 
with  its  infantile  fingers  to  the  shaggy  hide  of  its  mother, 
while  its  tiny  tail  was  twisted  around  the  root  of  hers,  in  a 
loop  that  appeared  tight  as  a  sailor's  knot. 

But  the  mother,  enfeebled  by  some  sickness,  —  for  mon- 
keys are  subject  to  sickness  as  well  as  men,  —  appeared 
doubtful  of  her'  ability  to  accomplish  the  leap  ;  and,  after  all 
the  others  had  crossed,  she  stood  upon  the  branch  evidently 
only  half  determined  about  following  them.  At  this  crisis 
occurred  a  curious  incident,  —  the  first  of  a  series.  One  of 
those  that  had  crossed,  a  man-monkey,  was  seen  to  separate 
from  the  crowd,  that  had  by  this  time  ascended  to  the  top  of 


124  AFLOAT   IN   THE  FOREST. 

the  tree.  Returning  along  the  limb  to  which  they  had  just 
leaded,  he  placed  himself  opposite  to  the  hesitating  female 
and  began  to  chatter,  intending  to  encourage  her,  as  his  ges- 
tures showed.  The  mother  of  the  infant  made  reply  ;  but 
although  the  sounds  were  unintelligible  to  the  human  spec- 
tators, they  might  be  translated  as  saying,  "  It 's  not  a  bit  of 
use,  my  trying  ;  I  shall  only  get  a  ducking  for  my  pains,  and 
the  infant  too.     It  may  be  drowned." 

Her  reply  was  delivered  in  a  tone  of  appeal ;  and,  as  if 
affected  by  it,  the  male  monkey — evidently  the  father  of  the 
child  —  made  no  more  remonstrance,  but  bounded  back 
across  the  open  water.  It  was  but  the  work  of  six  seconds 
for  him  to  transfer  the  juvenile  to  his  own  shoulders  ;  and  in 
as  many  more  both  he  and  it  were  on  the  right  side  of  the 
igarape.  Relieved  of  her  charge  and  encouraged  by  the 
cries  of  those  already  across,  the  mother  sprang  out  from  the 
branch.  The  effort  was  too  great  for  her  strength.  With 
her  forefinger  she  caught  the  twigs  on  the  opposite  side  and 
succeeded  in  clutching  them;  but  before  she  could  lap  the 
branch  with  her  tail,  —  a  more  trustworthy  means  of  pre- 
hension,—  she  had  sunk  below  its  level,  and,  the  twigs  giving 
way,  she  plunged  into  the  water. 

A  universal  scream  came  from  the  top  of  the  tree,  and  a 
score  or  more  of  guaribas  leaped  down  upon  the  limb  from 
which  the  unfortunate  had  fallen.  There  was  a  scene  of  con- 
fusion,— just  as  there  would  have  been  had  the  catastrophe 
happened  among  human  beings,  —  as  when  a  boat  upsets,  or 
some  one  breaks  through  the  ice,  and  spectators  stand  speech- 
less, or  hurry  to  and  fro,  no  one  knowing  exactly  what  to  do, 
—  what  order  to  give,  or  whom  to  obey. 

Very  like  was  the  scene  of  surprise,  terror,  and  lamenta- 
tion among  the  monkeys,  —  except  that  it  did  not  last  quite 
so  long.  In  this  respect  animal  instinct,  as  it  is  called,  has 
the  advantage  of  bewildered  reason  ;  and,  while  a  crowd  upon 
the  sea-beach  or  the  river-bank  would  have  spent  ten  minutes 


THE  MONKEY  MOTHER.  125 

before  taking  action  to  rescue  the  drowning  individual,  scarce- 
ly so  many  seconds  were  allowed  to  elapse  before  the  guaribas 
bad  picked  up  and  safely  deposited  ber  trembling  person  on 
the  fork  of  a  tree. 

The  mode  in  which  this  had  been  accomplished  was  some- 
thing to  astonish  the  spectators,  and  yet  it  was  performed  in 
a  very  efficient  manner.  As  soon  as  the  screaming  would 
permit,  the  voice  of  the  guariba  chieftain  was  heard,  in  a 
chattering  so  loud  and  serious  in  tone  as  to  indicate  com- 
mand ;  and  some  half-score  of  the  number,  in  obedience, 
glided  out  on  the  limb  of  the  tree  under  which  the  female 
was  in  imminent  danger  of  being  drowned.  A  bucket  could 
not  have  descended  into  a  well,  or  a  pulley-tackle  come 
down  from  warehouse  or  mill,  more  promptly  and  speedily 
than  did  that  string  of  monkeys,  hooked  neck  and  tail  to  one 
another,  like  the  links  of  a  long  chain,  —  the  lowest  upon  the 
swinging  series  being  the  husband  of  the  half-drowned  moth- 
er, who  had  hastily  deposited  his  baby  in  one  of  the  forkings 
of  the  tree.  Neither  could  the  water-bucket  have  been 
filled,  nor  the  wheat-sack  booked  on,  with  half  the  speed  and 
agility  with  which  she  was  picked  up  and  restored. 

Once  more  shouldering  her  "  chickabiddy,"  she  took  her 
place  in  the  troop,  which,  without  further  delay,  moved  on 
amid  the  tree-tops,  keeping  in  a  direct  line  of  march,  as  if 
bent  upon  a  journey  that  was  to  terminate  at  some  spot  al- 
ready known  to  them.  For  a  long  time  their  track  could  be 
traced  by  their  continuous  howling,  which  then  was  heard 
only  at  intervals,  and  at  length  receded  to  such  a  distance  as 
to  become  inaudible. 


126  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

CHAPTER  XLII. 

THE   MUNDURUCU   DISCOURSES    OF   MONKEYS. 

riHIE  sun  was  just  setting  as  the  guaribas  disappeared ;  and 

I  from  this  circumstance  it  was  conjectured  that  they  were 
on  their  return  to  some  favorite  resting-place.  Trevannion 
supposed  that  they  might  be  on  their  way  to  dry  land ;  and, 
if  so,  the  route  they  had  taken  might  serve  himself  and  party 
for  a  direction.  He  mentioned  this  to  the  Mundurucii,  who 
shook  his  head,  not  doubtfully,  but  as  a  simple  negative. 

"  You  think  it  would  be  of  no  use.  our  taking  the  direction 
in  which  they  have  gone  ?  "  said  the  miner  interrogatively. 

"  No,  patron  ;  not  a  bit  of  good  in  that.  They  are  as  like 
to  be  going  from  terra  firma  as  towards  it.  It 's  all  the  same 
to  them  whether  they  sleep  over  land,  or  water,  so  long  as 
they  have  the  trees  to  cling  to.  They  are  now  trooping  to 
some  roost  they  have  a  fancy  for,  —  perhaps  some  very  big 
tree,  —  which  they  use  at  all  times  for  their  night-rendezvous, 
and  where  others  of  the  same  tribe  will  be  likely  to  meet 
them.  These  have  been  off  to  some  favorite  feeding-ground, 
where  the  fruit  may  be  more  plenty  than  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  their  regular  dwelling-place ;  or  they  may  have  been 
upon  some  ramble  for  amusement." 

"  What !  do  monkeys  make  such  excursions  ? "  inquired 
young  Ralph. 

"  O  yes,"  replied  the  Mundurucii.  "  I  've  often  met  them 
trooping  about  among  the  trees,  where  nuts  and  fruits  were 
in  plenty ;  and  have  watched  them,  for  hours  at  a  time,  with- 
out seeing  them  pluck  a.  single  one ;  —  only  chattering  and 
screeching  and  laughing  and  playing  tricks  upon  each  other, 
as  if  they  had  nothing  else  to  do.  Neither  have  they  when 
certain  sorts  of  fruit  are  ripe,  especially  soft  fruits,  such  as 
berries  and  the  pulpy  nuts  of  several  kinds  of  palms,  as  the 


THE  MUNDURUCU  DISCOURSES  OF  MONKEYS.         127 

pvpunha  and  assai.  It  is  a  little  different  at  other  seasons, 
when  they  have  to  live  on  the  Brazil-nuts  and  sapucayas ; 
then  they  have  something  to  do  to  get  at  the  kernels  inside 
the  thick  shells,  and  at  this  they  employ  a  good  deal  of  their 
time." 

"Do   they    sleep    perched   on   the   trees,    or   have    they 
nests  among  the  branches  in  which  they  can  lie  down  at  their 


ease 


"They  have  nests,  but  not  for  that.  The  females  only 
use  thera  when  about  to  bring  forth  their  young.  As  to 
sleeping  at  their  ea?e,  they  can  do  that  on  the  very  slender- 
est of  branches.  It's  no  hardship  to  them,  as  it  is  to  us, 
Not  a  bit." 

"  But  do  they  not  sometimes  fall  off  in  their  sleep  ?  " 

"  How  could  they  do  that,  young  master,  when  they  have 
their  tails  to  hold  on  by  ?  Before  going  to  sleep  they  take  a 
turn  or  two  of  their  long  tail  round  a  branch,  not  always  the 
one  their  body  is  on,  but  more  commonly  a  branch  a  little 
above  it.  For  that  matter  they  don't  need  any  branch  to 
rest  upon.  They  can  go  to  sleep,  and  often  do,  hanging  by 
the  tail,  —  for  that  is  the  position  in  which  they  are  most 
at  ease  ;  just  as  you  would  be  reclining  in  a  hammock.  I  've 
seen  them  scores  of  times  asleep  that  way.  To  prove  that 
they  feel  most  at  home  when  hanging  by  the  tail,  they  take 
to  it  whenever  any  alarm  comes  suddenly  upon  them ;  and 
they  want  to  be  in  readiness  for  retreat,  in  case  of  its  prov- 
ing to  be  an  enemy." 

"  What  singular  creatures  !  "  said  Ralph,  half  in  solilo- 
quy- 

"  You  speak  truth,  young  master.     They  have  many  an 

odd  way,  that  would  lead  one  to  believe  that  they  had  as 
much  sense  as  some  kinds  of  men.  You  have  seen  how  they 
picked  up  the  old  one  that  fell  into  the  water ;  but  I  've  seen 
them  do  a  still  stranger  thing  than  that.  It  is  but  the  common- 
est of  their  contrivances,  put  in  practice  every  time  they  want 


128  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

to  pluck  a  nut,  or  some  fruit  that  grows  near  the  end  of  a 
branch  too  slender  to  carry  their  weight.  If  there 's  a 
stronger  limb  above,  they  go  out  upon  it;  and  then,  clinging 
together  as  you  saw  them  do,  they  let  themselves  down  till 
the  last  in  the  string  can  lay  hold  of  the  fruit.  Sometimes 
there  is  no  branch  right  over  the  spot ;  but  that  don't  hinder 
them  from  getting  what  they  have  coveted,  if  they  can  find  a 
stout  limb  anyways  near.  Then  they  make  their  string  all 
the  same ;  and,  by  setting  it  in  motion,  they  swing  back  and 
forward,  until  the  lowest  of  the  party  is  tossed  out  within 
reach  of  the  fruit.  I  've  seen  them  try  this,  and  find  that 
their  string  was  just  a  few  inches  too  short,  when  another 
monkey  would  glide  down  upon  the  others,  and  add  his  length 
to  complete  it.  Then  I  've  seen  them  make  a  bridge,  young 
master." 

"  Make  a  bridge  !  Are  you  in  earnest  ?  How  could 
they  ?  " 

"  Well,  just  in  the  same  way  as  they  get  within  reach  of 
the  nuts." 

"  But  for  what  purpose  ?  " 

"  To  get  across  some  bit  of  water,  as  a  fast-running  stream, 
where  they  would  be  drowned  if  they  fell  in." 

"  But  how  do  they  accomplish  it?  To  make  a  bridge  re- 
quires a  skilled  engineer  among  men  ;  are  there  such  among 
monkeys  ?  " 

"  Well,  young  master,  I  won't  call  it  such  skill ;  but  it 's  very 
like  it.  When  on  their  grand  journeyings  they  come  to  a 
stream,  or  even  an  igarape  like  this,  and  find  they  can't  leap 
from  the  trees  on  one  side  to  those  growing  on  the  other,  it  is 
then  necessary  for  them  to  make  the  bridge.  They  go  up  or 
down  the  bank  till  they  find  two  tall  trees  opposite  each 
other.  They  climb  to  a  high  branch  on  the  one,  and  then, 
linking  together,  as  you  've  seen  them,  they  set  their  string 
in  motion,  and  swing  backward  and  forward,  till  one  at  the 
end  can   clutch  a  branch  of  the  tree,  on  the  opposite  side. 


THE  MUNDURUCU  DISCOURSES   OF  MONKEYS. 


129 


This-  done  the  bridge  is  made,  and  all  the  troop,  the  old  ones 
that  are  too  stiff  to  take  a  great  leap,  and  the  young  ones 
that  are  too  weak,  run  across  upon  the  bodies  of  their  stout- 


er   comrades.      When    all    have  ... 

passed  over,  the  monkey   at   the      ||§jji| 

other   end  of  the  string   lets   go      ^=^= 

his    hold  upon    the    branch  ;    and       Slllfi 

if    he   should   be    flung   into    the 

water,  it  don't  endanger   him,  as 

he  instantly  climbs  up  the  bodies         -     _  ^Sg 

of    those    above    him,    the    next  '"- ■'■  ...._'±-^ w  _  ,^_r.  --=■- 

doing    the    same,    and    the    next 

also,  until  all  have  got  safe  into  the  trees. 

"Be  japers,"  exclaimed  Tipperary  Tom,  it's  wonderful 
how  the  craythers  can  do  it !  But,  Misther  Munday,  have 
yez  iver  seen  them  fall  from  a  tree-top  ?  " 

"  No,  never.  But  I  've  known  one  to  leap  from  the  top  of 
a  tree  full  a  hundred  feet  in  height." 

6*  i 


130  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

"  Shure  it  was  kilt  dead  then  ?  " 

"  If  it  was  it  acted  very  oddly  for  a  dead  animal,  as  it  had 
scarce  touched  the  ground  when  it  sprang  back  up  another 
tree  of  equal  height,  and  scampered  to  the  top  branches 
nearly  as  quick  as  it  came  down." 

"  Ah  !  "  sighed  Trevannion,  "  if  we  had  only  the  activity  of 
these  creatures,  how  soon  we  might  escape  from  this  unfortu- 
nate dilemma.  Who  knows*what  is  before  us  ?  Let  us  pray 
before  going  to  rest  for  the  night.  Let  us  hope  that  He,  in 
whose  hands  we  are,  may  listen  to  our  supplications,  and  soon- 
er or  later  relieve  us  from  our  misery."  And  so  saying,  the 
ex-miner  repeated  a  well-remembered  prayer,  in  the  response 
to  which  not  only  the  young  people,  but  the  Indian,  the  Afri- 
can, and  the  Irishman  fervently  joined. 


CHAPTER   XLIII. 

TWO     SLUMBERERS     DUCKED. 

IT  was  somewhere  among  the  mid-hours  of  the  night,  and 
all  appeared  to  be  as  sound  asleep  as  if  reclining  upon 
couches  of  eider-down.  Not  a  voice  was  heard  among  the 
branches  of  the  Brazil-nut,  —  not  a  sound  of  any  kind,  if  we 
except  the  snore  that  proceeded  from  the  spread  nostrils  of  the 
negro,  and  that  of  a  somewhat  sharper  tone  from  the  nasal  or- 
gan of  the  Irishman.  Sometimes  they  snored  togethei",  and 
for  several  successive  trumpetings  this  simultaneity  would  be 
kept  up.  Gradually,  however,  one  would  get  a  little  ahead, 
and  then  the  two  snorers  would  be  heard  separately,  as  if 
the  two  sleepers  were  responding  to  each  other  in  a  kind 
of  dialogue  carried  on  by  their  noses.  All  at  once  this 
nasal  duet  was  interrupted  by  a  rustling  among  the  boughs 


TWO   SLUMBERERS  DUCKED.  131 

upon  which  rested  Tipperary  Tom.  The  rustling  was  suc- 
ceeded by  a  cry,  quickly  followed  by  a  plunge. 

The  cry  and  the  plunge  woke  everybody  upon  the  tree  ;  and 
while  several  inquired  the  cause  of  the  disturbance,  a  second 
shout,  and  a  second  plunge,  instead  of  affording  a  clew  to  the 
cause  of  alarm,  only  rendered  the  matter  more  mysterious. 
There  was  a  second  volley  of  interrogatories,  but  among 
the  inquiring  voices  two  were  missing, —  those  of  Mozey 
and  the  Irishman.  Both,  however,  could  now  be  heard  be- 
low ;  not  very  articulate,  but  as  if  their  owners  were  chok- 
ing. At  the  same  time  there  was  a  plashing  and  a  plung- 
ing under  the  tree,  as  if  the  two  were  engaged  in  a  strug- 
gle for  life, 

"  What  is  it  ?  Is  it  you,  Tom  ?  Is  it  you,  Mozey  ?  "  were 
the  questions  that  came  thick  and  fast  from  those  still  upon 
the  tree. 

"  Och  !  ach  !  —  I  'm  chokin' !  —  I  'm  —  ach  —  drown  — ach 
—  drownin' !  —  Help !  help  ! "  cried  a  voice,  distinguishable  as 
the  Irishman's,  while  Mozey 's  was  exerted  in  a  similar  dec- 
laration. 

All  knew  that  Tom  could  not  swim  a  stroke.  With  the 
Mozambique  it  was  different.  He  might  sustain  himself 
above  water  long  enough  to  render  his  rescue  certain. 
With  Tom  no  time  was  to  be  lost,  if  he  was  to  be  saved 
from  a  watery  grave  ;  and,  almost  with  his  cry  for  help, 
Richard  Trevannion  and  the  Mundurucu  plunged  in  after 
him. 

For  a  time,  Trevannion  himself  and  his  two  children  could 
hear,  underneath  them,  only  a  confused  medley  of  sounds,  — 
the  splashing  of  water  mingled  with  human  voices,  some 
speaking,  or  rather  shouting,  in  accents  of  terror,  others  in 
encouragement.  The  night  was  dark ;  but  had  it  been 
ever  so  clear,  even  had  the  full  moon  been  shining  above, 
her  beams  could  not  have  penetrated  through  the  spread- 
ing branches  of  the  Brazil-nut,  melted  and  lined  as  they 
were  with  thorns  and  leafy  llianas. 


132  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

It  would  seem  an  easy  task  for  two  such  swimmers  as  the 
Indian  and  Paraense  to  rescue  Tipperary  Tom  from  his  peril. 
But  it  was  uot  quite  so  easy.  They  had  got  hold  of  him,  one 
on  each  side,  as  soon  as  the  darkness  allowed  them  to  discern 
him.  But  this  was  not  till  they  had  groped  for  some  time ; 
and  then  he  was  found  in  such  a  state  of  exhaustion  that  it 
required  all  the  strength  of  both  to  keep  his  chin  above  the 
surface. 

Mozey  was  fast  becoming  as  helpless-  as  Tom,  being  more 
than  '  half  paralyzed  by  the  fright  he  had  got  from  being 
precipitated  into  the  water  while  still  sound  asleep.  Such  a 
singular  awaking  was  sufficient  to  have  confused  a  cranium 
of  higher  intellectual  development  than  that  of  the  Mozam- 
bique. 

After  having  discovered  their  half-drowned  companions, 
neither  Richard  nor  the  Mundurucii  knew  exactly  what  to  do 
with  them.  Their  first  thought  was  to  drag  them  towards 
the  trunk  of  the  tree,  under  which  they  had  been  immersed. 
This  they  succeeded  in  doing ;  but  once  alongside  the  stem, 
they  found  themselves  in  no  better  position  for  getting  out  of 
the  water.  There  was  not  a  branch  within  reach  by  which 
to  raise  themselves,  and  the  bark  was  as  smooth  as  glass,  and 
slippery  with  slime. 

"When  first  ascending  into  the  great  tree,  they  had  made 
use  of  some  hanging  parasite,  which  now  in  the  darkness 
they  were  unable  to  find.  Even  the  two  swimmers  began  to 
despond.  If  not  their  own  lives,  those  of  their  comrades 
might  be  lost  in  that  gloomy  aisle,  whose  pavement  was  the 
subtle,  deceitful  flood.  At  this  crisis  an  idea  occurred  to  the 
young  Paraense  that  promised  to  rescue  them  from  their  per- 
ilous position,  and  he  called  out,  "  The  swimming-belts ! 
fling  down  the  swimming-belts !  "  His  uncle  and  cousin,  by 
this  time  having  a  clearer  comprehension  of  what  had  oc- 
curred, at  once  obeyed  the  command.  Richard  and  the 
Indian  were  not  slow  to  avail  themselves  of  this  timelv  assist- 


OPEN  WATER.  133 

ance ;  and  in  a  trice  the  two  half-drowned  men  were  buoyed 
up  beyond  further  danger. 

On  getting  back  into  the  Bertholettia,  there  was  a  general 
explanation.  Tipperary  Tom  was  the  cause  of  the  awkward 
incident.  Having  gone  to  sleep  without  taking  proper  pre- 
cautions, his  limbs,  relaxed  by  slumber,  had  lost  their  pre- 
hensile power,  and,  sliding  through  the  llianas,  he  had  fallen 
plump  into  the  water  below,  a  distance  of  more  than  a  dozen 
feet.  His  cries,  and  the  consequent  plunge,  had  startled  the 
negro  so  abruptly  that  he  too  had  lost  his  equilibrium,  and 
had  soused  down  the  instant  after. 

The  Mundurucii  was  by  no  means  satisfied  with  the  occur- 
rence. It  had  not  only  interrupted  his  repose,  but  given  him 
a  wet  shirt  in  which  to  continue  it.  He  was  determined, 
however,  that  a  similar  incident  should  not,  for  that  night, 
occur,  —  at  least  not  with  the  same  individuals,  —  and  before 
returning  to  his  roost  he  bound  both  of  them  to  theirs  with 
sipos  strong  enough  to  resist  any  start  that  might  be  caused 
by  the  most  terrible  of  dream.-. 


CHAPTER    XLIV. 

OPEN    WATER. 

THE  next  day  was  spent  in  explorations.  These  did  not 
extend  more  than  four  hundred  yards  from  their  sleep- 
ing-place ;  but,  short  as  was  the  distance,  it  cost  more  trouble 
to  traverse  it  than  if  it  had  been  twenty  miles  on  land,  across 
an  open  country. 

It  was  a  thicket  through  which  the  explorers  had  to  pass, 
but  such  a  thicket  as  one  acquainted  only  with  the  ordinary 
woods  of  Northern  countries  can  have  no  conception  of.     It 


134  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

•was  a  matted  tangle  of  trees  and  parasitical  plant?,  many  of 
the  latter  —  such  as  the  climbing  jacitara  palms,  the  huge 
cane-briers,  and  bromelias  —  thickly  set  with  sharp  spines, 
that  rendered  it  dangerous  to  come  in  contact  with  them. 
Even  had  there  been  firm  footing,  it  would  have  been  no 
easy  task  to  make  way  through  such  a  network  ;  but,  consid- 
ering that  it  was  necessary  to  traverse  the  wood  by  passing 
from  tree  to  tree,  all  the  time  keeping  in  their  tops,  it  will 
not  be  wondered  at  that  a  few  hundred  yards  of  such  progress 
was  accounted  a  day's  journey. 

You  must  not  suppose  that  all  the  party  of  our  adventurers 
went  even  thus  far.  In  fact,  all  of  them  remained  in  the 
Brazil-nut,  except  the  two  who  had  acted  as  explorers  on  the 
former  occasion,  —  Richard  and  the  Mundurucii.  It  would 
have  been  worse  than  idle  for  any  other  to  have  accompanied 
them. 

It  was  near  sunset  when  they  returned  with  their  report, 
which  to  Trevannion  and  his  party  seemed  anything  but  en- 
couraging. The  explorers  had  penetrated  through  the  forest, 
finding  it  flooded  in  every  direction.  Not  an  inch  of  dry  land 
had  they  discovered;  and  the  Indian  knew,  from  certain  signs 
well  understood  by  him,  that  none  was  near.  The  rapid  drift 
of  the  current,  which  he  had  observed  several  times  during 
the  day,  was  one  of  these  indications.  It  could  not,  he  de- 
clared, be  running  in  that  way,  if  dry  land  were  in  the  vicini- 
ty. So  far,  therefore,  as  reaching  the  shore  was  concerned, 
they  might  make  up  their  minds  for  a  long  journey ;  and 
how  this  was  to  be  performed  was  the  question  of  the 
hour. 

One  point  the  explorers  had  definitely  determined.  The 
iganipe  terminated  at  their  sleeping-place.  There  was  no 
sign  of  it  beyond.  Instead,  however,  they  had  come  upon  an 
opening  of  a  very  different  character.  A  vast  expanse  of 
water,  without  any  trees,  had  been  found,  its  nearest  edge 
being  the  limit  of  their  day's  excursion.     This  open  water  did 


OPEN  WATER.  135 

not  extend  quite  to  the  horizon.  Around  it,  on  all  sides,  trees 
could  be  seen,  or  rather  the  tops  of  trees  ;  for  it  was  evident 
that  the  thicket-like  bordering  was  but  the  "  lop  and  top  "  of 
a  submerged  forest.  On  returning  to  the  "  roost,"  Munday 
urged  their  going  towards  the  open  water. 

"  For  what  purpose  ?  "  inquired  the  patron,  who  failed  to 
perceive  any  good  reason  for  it.  "  "We  can't  cross  it,  there 
being  no  sort  of  craft  to  carry  us.  We  cannot  make  a  raft 
out  of  these  green  branches,  full  of  sap  as  they  are.  What 's 
the  use  of  our  going  that  way  ?  You  say  there  's  open  water 
almost  as  far  as  you  can  see,  —  so  much  the  worse,  I  should 
think." 

"  No,  patron,"  replied  the  Indian,  still  addressing  Trevan- 
nion  as  respectfully  as  when  acting  as  his  hired  tapuyo.  "  So 
much  the  better,  if  you  give  me  leave  to  differ  with  you.  Our 
only  hope  is  to  find  open  water." 

"  Why,  we  have  been  all  along  coming  from  it.  Is  n't 
there  plenty  of  it  behind  us  ?" 

"  True,  patron  ;  but  it 's  not  running  in  the  right  direction. 
If  we  launched  upon  it,  the  current  would  be  against  us. 
Remember,  master,  't  is  the  echente.  We  could  n't  go  that 
way.  If  we  could,  it  would  only  bring  us  back  to  the  river- 
channel,  where,  without  some  sort  of  a  vessel,  we  should  soon 
go  to  the  bottom.  Now  the  open  Gapo  we  've  seen  to-day  is 
landward,  though  the  land  may  be  a  good  way  off.  Still,  by 
crossing  it,  we  shall  be  getting  nearer  to  firm  ground,  and 
that 's  something." 

"  By  crossing  it  ?     But  how  ?  " 

"  We  must  swim  across  it." 

"  Why,  you  've  just  said  that  it  stretches  almost  to  the  edge 
of  the  horizon.  It  must  be  ten  miles  or  more.  Do  you  mean 
to  say  we  can  swim  so  far  ?  " 

"What's  to  hinder  us,  master?  You  have,  the  monkey- 
pots  ;  they  will  keep  you  above  water.  If  not  enough  for 
all,  we  can  get  more.     Plenty  of  the  sapucaya-trees  here." 


13G  AFLOAT   IN   THE  FOREST. 

"  But  what  would  be  the  object  of  our  crossing  this  expanse 
of  water  ?  You  say  there  is  no  dry  land  on  the  other  side  ; 
in  that  case,  we  '11  be  no  better  off  than  here." 

u  There  is  land  on  the  other  side,  though  I  think  not  near. 
But  we  must  keep  on  towards  it,  else  we  shall  never  escape 
from  the  Gapo.  If  we  stay  here,  we  must  starve,  or  suffer 
greatly.  We  might  search  the  forest  for  months,  and  not 
find  another  nesting-place  of  the  araras,  or  good  food  of  any 
kind.  Take  my  advice,  patron.  Soon  as  comes  the  light  of 
to-morrow,  let  us  cross  to  the.  open  water.  Then  you  can 
see  for  yourself  what  is  best  for  us  to  do." 

As  the  perilous  circumstances  in  which  they  were  placed 
had  altogether  changed  the  relationship  between  Trevannion 
and  his  tapuyo,  the  latter  being  now  the  real  "  patron,"  of 
course  the  ex-miner  willingly  gave  way  to  him  in  everything; 
and  on  the  morning  of  the  next  day  the  party  of  adventurers 
forsook  the  Brazil-nut,  and  proceeded  towards  the  open 
Gapo. 


CHAPTER    XLV. 

THE    JACANAS. 

IT  will  be  asked  how  they  proceeded.  To  swim  to  the 
opeaa  water  would  have  been  next  to  impossible,  even 
with  the  assistance  of  the  floats.  Not  only  would  the  thick 
tree-trunks  and  drooping  llianas  have  hindered  them  from 
making  way  in  any  direction;  but  there  would  have  been 
nothing  to  guide  them  through  the  shadowy  water,  and  they 
must  soon  lose  themselves  in  a  labyrinth  of  gloom.  No  sign 
of  the  sky  could  have  availed  them  in  the  deep  darkness  be- 
low ;  and  there  were  no  landmarks  to  which  to  trust.  The 
answer  is,  that  they  made  their  way  along  much  as  did  the 


THE  JACANAS.  137 

monkeys  which  had  passed  them  the  day  before,  only  that 
their  pace  was  a  hundred  times  slower,  and  their  exertions  a 
thousand  times  more  laborious.  In  fact,  they  travelled  among 
the  tree-tops,  and  followed  the  same  track  which  their  ex- 
plorers had  already  taken,  and  which  Munday,  on  his  return, 
had  taken  the  precaution  to  "  blaze  "  by  breaking  a  number 
of  twigs  and  branches. 

Their  progress  was  of  the  slowest  kind,  —  slower  than  the 
crawl  of  a  cripple  ;  but  by  dint  of  perseverance,  and  the  per- 
formance of  many  feats  in  climbing  and  clinging  and  balanc- 
ing, and  general  gymnastics,  they  succeeded  at  length  in 
reaching  the  edge  of  the  forest,  and  gaining  a  view  of  the 
wide  watery  expanse.  It  was  a  relief  to  their  eyes,  so  long 
strained  to  no  purpose  amidst  the  shadowy  foliage  that  had 
enveloped  them. 

"  Now,  Munday,"  asked  Trevannion,  as  soon  as  he  had 
recovered  breath,  after  such  laborious  exertion,  "  Ave  are  here 
on  the  edge  of  the  open  water.  You  talk  of  our  being  able 
to  swim  across  it.     Tell  us  how." 

"Just  as  we  swam  the  igarape." 

"  Impossible,  as  you  've  admitted  it  can't  be  less  than  ten 
miles  to  the  other  side.  The  tree-tops  yonder  are  scarce  dis- 
cernible." 

"  We  came  nearly  as  far  along  the  canoe-path." 

"  True ;  but  then  we  had  a  chance  to  rest  every  few  min- 
utes, and  that  gave  us  strength  to  go  on.  It  will  be  different 
if  we  attempt  to  cross  this  great  sea,  where  there  is  no  rest- 
ing-place of  any  kind.  We  should  be  a  whole  day  on  the 
water,  perhaps  more." 

"Perhaps  so,  patron.  But  remember,  if  we  do  not  try  to 
get  out  of  the  Gapo,  we  may  be  three,  four,  five,  or  six 
months  among  these  tree-tops.  We  may  get  no  food  but  a 
few  nuts  and  fruits,  —  scarcely  enough  to  keep  us  alive.  We 
may  lose  strength,  and  be  no  longer  able  to  stay  among  the 
branches ;  we  may  grow  faint  and  fall,  one  by  one,  into  the 


138      "  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

water,  to  go  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  Gapo  or  drop  into  the 
jaws  of,  the  jacares." 

The  alternative  thus  brought  in  terrible  detail  vividly 
before  them  produced  a  strong  impression  ;  and  Trevannion 
offered  no  objection  to  any  plan  which  the  Mundurucu  should 
propose.  He  only  requested  a  fuller  account  of  the  feasibil- 
ity of  that  now  suggested,  —  in  other  words,  an  explanation 
as  to  how  they  were  to  swim  a  stretch  of  ten  miles  without 
stopping  to  rest. 

Munday  made  no  mystery  of  the  matter.  He  had  no  other 
plan  than  that  already  tried  with  success,  —  the  swimming- 
belts  ;  only  that  two  additional  sets  would  now  be  needed, — 
one  for  himself,  the  other  for  the  young  Paraense.  On  the 
short  passage  from  the  sapucaya  to  the  forest,  and  along  the 
canoe-path,  these  bold  swimmers  had  disdained  the  use  of 
that  apparatus  ;  but  in  a  pull  of  ten  miles,  even  they  must 
have  recourse  to  such  aid. 

No  further  progress  was  to  be  made  on  that  day,  as  the 
fatigue  of  their  arboreal  .journey  required  a  long  rest;  and 
shortly  after  their  arrival  upon  the  edge  of  the  forest,  they 
set  about  arranging  for  the  night,  having  chosen  the  best  tree 
that  could  be  found.  Unfortunately,  their  larder  was  lower 
than  it  had  ever  been,  since  the  going  down  of  the  galatea. 
Of  the  squab  macaws  there  were  no  longer  any  left ;  and 
some  sapucaya-nuts  gathered  by  the  way,  and  brought  along 
by  Munday,  formed  the  substance  of  their  scanty  supper. 

As  soon  as  it  was  eaten,  the  Mundurucu,  assisted  by  Rich- 
ard, busied  himself  in  manufacturing  the  required  swimming- 
belts  ;  and  long  before  the  sun  disappeared  behind  the  forest 
spray,  everything  was  ready  for  their  embarkation,  which 
was  to  take  place  at  the  earliest  moment  of  its  reappearance. 

As  usual,  there  was  conversation,  —  partly  to  kill  time,  and 
partly  to  keep  off  the  shadows  that  surrounded,  and  ever  threat- 
ened to  reduce  them  to  despair.  Trevannion  took  pains  to 
keep  it  up,  and  make  it  as  cheerful  as  the  circumstances 


THE  JACANAS.  139 

would  permit,  his  object  being  less  to  satisfy  himself  than  to 
provide  gratification  for  his  children.  At  times  he  even  at- 
tempted to  jest  ;  but  generally  the  conversation  turned  upon 
topics  suggested  by  the  scene,  when  .the  Indian,  otherwise 
taciturn,  was  expected  to  do  the  talking.  The  open  water 
became  the  subject  on  this  particular  occasion. 

"  It  appears  like  a  lake,"  remarked  the  ex-miner.  "  I  can 
see  a  line  of  trees  or  tree-tops  all  around  it,  with  no  signs  of 
a  break  or  channel." 

"  It  is  one,"  rejoined  the  tapvyo.  "  A  real  lagoa.  Water 
in  it  at  all  seasons,  —  both  echente  and  vasante,  —  only  't  is 
fallen  now  from  the  flood.  There  are  no  campos  in  this 
part  of  the  country  ;  and  if  it  was  n't  a  lagoa,  there  would  be 
trees  standing  out  of  it.  But  I  see  a  surer  sign, —  the 
piosocas." 

The  speaker  pointed  to  two  dark  objects  at  some  distance 
off,  that  had  not  hitherto  been  observed  by  any  of  the  party. 
On  more  careful  scrutiny,  they  proved  to  be  birds,  —  large, 
but  of  slender  shape,  and  bearing  some  resemblance  to  a 
brace  of  cranes  or  curlews.  They  were  of  dark  color,  rufous 
on  the  wings,  with  a  green  iridescence  that  glistened  brightly 
under  the  beams  of  the  setting  sun. 

They  were  near  enough  to  enable  the  spectators  *to  dis- 
tinguish several  peculiarities  in  their  structure  ;  among  oth- 
ers a  singular  leathery  appendage  at  the  base  of  the  beak, 
stout,  spinous  processes  or  "  spurs  "  on  the  wing  shoulders, 
very  long,  slender  legs,  and  tarsi  of  immense  length,  radiat- 
ing outward  from  their  shank,  like  four  pointed  stars,  spread 
horizontally  on  the  surface  of  the  water. 

What  struck  the  spectators,  not  only  with  surprise,  but  ap- 
peared unaccountable,  was  the  fact  that  these  birds  seen  upon 
the  water  were  not  seated  as  if  swimming  or  afloat;  but 
standing  erect  upon  their  long  tarsi  and  toes,  which  appar- 
ently spread  upon  the  surface,  as  if  upon  ice  ! 

Stranger  still,  while  they  were  being  watched,  both  were 


140 


AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 


seen  to  forsake  their  statue-like  attitude,  and  move  fir.-t  to- 
ward each  other,  and  then  apart  again,  running  to  and  fro  as 
if  upon  a  solid  footing  !  What  could  it  all  mean?  Munduy 
was  asked  for  the  explanation.  Were  they  walking  upon  the 
water  ? 

No.     There  was  a  water  plant  under  their  feet  —  a  big 
lily,  with  a  leaf  several  feet  in  diameter,  that  floated  on  the 


surface  —  sufficient  to  carry  the  weight  of  the  biggest  bird. 
That  was  what  was  supporting  the  piosocas. 

On  scanning  the  surface  more  carefully,  they  could  distin- 


THE  JACANAS.  141 

guish  the  big  lily,  and  its  leaf  with  a  turned-up  edge  resem- 
bling the  rim  of  a  Chinese  gong,  or  a  huge  frying-pan.  They 
became  acquainted  for  the  first  time  with  that  gigantic  lily, 
which  has  been  entitled  "  the  Royal  Victoria,"  and  the  dis- 
coverer of  which  was  knighted  for  his  flattery. 

"'T  is  the  famo  de piosoca,"  said  Munday,  continuing  his 
explanation.  "  It  is  called  so,  because,  as  you  see,  it 's  like 
the  oven  on  which  we  bake  our  Cassava ;  and  because  it  is 
the  favorite  roost  of  the  piosoca." 

By  "  piosoca  "  the  Indian  meant  the  singular  jacana  of  the 
family  Pahtmedeidce,  of  which  there  are  species  both  in  Afri- 
ca and  America. 

The  birds  had  fortunately  made  their  appearance  at  a  cri- 
sis when  the  spectators  required  something  to  abstract  their 
thoughts  from  the  cares  that  encompassed  them,  and  so  much 
were  they  engrossed  by  the  curious  spectacle,  that  they  did 
not  perceive  the  tapuyo,  as  he  let  himself  gently  down  into  the 
water,  and  swam  off  under  the  drooping  branches  of  the  trees, 
pausing  at  a  point  opposite  to  where  the  piosocas  wei-e  at  play. 

From  this  point  they  could  not  have  perceived  him,  as  he 
had  dived  under  water,  and  did  not  come  up  again  until  the 
slender  shanks  of  a  jacana,  enveloped  in  the  lily's  soft  leaf, 
were  clutched  by  his  sinewy  fingers,  and  the  bird  with  a  shrill 
scream  was  seen  fluttering  on  the  water,  while  its  terrified 
mate  soared  shrieking  into  the  air. 

The  party  in  the  tree-tops  were  at  first  amazed.  They 
saw  a  dark,  round  object  close  to  the  struggling  jacana,  that 
resembled  the  head  of  a  human  being,  whose  body  was  under 
water !  It  was  not  till  it  had  come  nearer,  the  bird  still  keep- 
ing it  close  company,  that  they  identified  the  head,  with  its 
copper-colored  face,  now  turned  towards  them,  as  belonging 
to  their  guide  and  companion,  —  Munday.  A  fire,  was  soon 
blazing  in  the  branches,  and  instead  of  going  to  sleep  upon  a 
supper  of  raw  sapucayas,  our  adventurers  sought  repose  after 
a  hearty  meal  made  upon  roast  jacana! 


142  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

CHAPTER  XLVI. 

A     COMPANION     LEFT    BEHIND. 

BY  daybreak  they  were  once  more  in  the  water,  each  pro- 
vided with  a  complete  set  of  swirnming-shells.  As  the 
voyage  was  more  extensive,  and  altogether  more  perilous,  the 
greatest  pains  was  taken  to  have  the  swimming  apparatus  as 
perfect  as  possible.  Any  flaw,  such  as  a  weak  place  in  the 
waist-belts  or  shoulder-straps,  or  the  smallest  crevice  that 
would  admit  water  into  one  of  the  shells,  might  be  followed 
by  serious  consequences,  perhaps  even  drowning.  Besides 
making  the  new  belts,  therefore,  Munday  had  mended  the  old 
ones,  giving  all  the  shells  an  additional  coating  of  caoutchouc, 
and  strengthening  the  sipos  that  attached  them  to  one  an- 
other. 

Just  as  the  sun's  disk  was  seen  above  the  tree-tops  that 
skirted  the  lagoa  on  the  east,  our  adventurers  embarked  on 
their  aquatic  expedition.  But  it  could  not  be  said  that  they 
started  in  high  spirits.  They  knew  not  what  was  to  be  the 
sequel  of  their  singular  undertaking.  Where  their  journey 
was  to  end,,  or  whether  its  end  might  not  be  for  some  of  their 
number  —  if  not  all  of  them  —  the  bottom  of  the  Gapo. 

Indeed,  the  Indian,  to  whom  they  all  looked  for  encourage- 
ment as  well  as  guidance,  was  himself  not  very  sanguine  of 
success.  He  did  not  say  so,  but  for  all  that  Trevannion,  who 
had  kept  interrogating  him  at  intervals  while  they  were  pre- 
paring to  start,  had  become  impressed  with  this  belief.  As 
the  Mundurucu  persisted  in  counselling  the  expedition,  he  did 
not  urge  any  further  opposition,  and  under  the  auspices  of  a 
glorious  tropical  sunrise  they  committed  themselves  to  the 
open  waters  of  the  lagoa. 

At  the  very  start  there  occurred  a  somewhat  ominous  acci- 
dent.   As  the  coaita  would  have  been  a  cumbersome  compan- 


A  COMP ANION  LEFT  BEHIND.  143 

ion  for  any  of  the  swimmers  to  carry,  it  was  decided  that  the 
creature  should  be  left  behind.  Unpleasant  as  it  was  to  part 
with  a  pet  so  long  in  the  company  of  the  galatea's  crew,  there 
was  no  alternative  but  to  abandon  it. 

Tipperary  Tom,  notwithstanding  his  attachment  toward  it, 
or  rather  its  attachment  toward  him,  was  but  too  willing  to 
assent  to  the  separation.  He  had  a  vivid  recollection  of  his 
former  entanglement,  and  the  risk  he  had  run  of  being  either 
drowned  in  the  Gapo,  or  strangled  by  the  coaita's  tail ;  and 
with  this  remembrance  still  fresh  before  his  fancy,  he  had 
taken  the  precaution  at  this  new  start  to  steal  silently  off 
from  the  trees,  among  the  foremost  of  the  swimmers.  Every- 
body in  fact  had  got  off,  before  the  coaita  was  aware  of  their 
intention  to  abandon  it,  and  to  such  a  distance  that  by  no 
leap  could  it  alight  upon  anybody's  shoulders.  On  perceiv- 
ing that  it  was  left  behind,  it  set  up  a  series  of  cries,  painfully 
plaintive,  but  loud  enough  to  have  been  heard  almost  to  the 
limits  of  the  lagoa. 

A  similar  desertion  of  the  macaw  was  evidently  intended, 
to  which  no  one  had  given  a  thought,  although  it  was  Rosa's 
pet.  The  ouistiti  had  been  provided  with  a  free  passage  upon 
the  shoulders  of  the  young  Paraense.  But  the  huge  parrot 
was  not  to  be  left  behind  in  this  free  and  easy  fashion.  It 
was  not  so  helpless  as  the  coaita.  It  possessed  a  pair  of  strong 
wings,  which,  when  strongly  and  boldly  spread,  could  carry  it 
clear  across  the  lagoa.  Conscious  of  this  superior  power,  it 
did  not  stay  long  upon  the  trees,  to  mingle  its  chattering  with 
the  screams  of  the  coaita.  Before  the  swimmers  had  made 
a  hundred  strokes,  the  macaw  mounted  into  the  air,  flew  for  a 
while  hoveringly  above  them,  as  if  selecting  its  perch,  and  then 
dropped  upon  the  negro's  head,  burying  its  claws  in  his  tangled 
hair. 


144  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

CHAPTER  XL VII. 

THE     GUIDE    ABANDONED. 

AS  the  swimmers  proceeded,  their  hopes  grew  brighter. 
They  saw  that  they  were  able  to  make  good  headway 
through  the  water;  and  in  less  than  an  hour  they  were  a 
full  mile  distant  from  their  point  of  departure.  At  this 
rate  they  should  be  on  the  other  side  of  the  lagoon  before 
sunset,  if  their  strength  would  only  hold  out.  The  voyage 
promised  to  be  prosperous ;  and  joy  sat  upon  their  counte- 
nances. 

Shortly  after  there  came  a  change.  A  cloud  was  seen  steal- 
ing over  the  brow  of  the  Mundurucii,  which  was  the  cue  for 
every  other  to  exhibit  a  similar  shadowing.  Trevannion 
kept  scanning  the  countenance  of  the  tapuyo  to  ascertain 
the  cause  of  his  disquietude.  He  made  no  inquiry ;  but 
he  could  tell  by  the  behavior  of  the  Indian  that  there 
was  trouble  on  his  mind.  At  intervals  he  elevated  his 
head  above  the  water,  and  looked  back  over  his  shoulder, 
as  if  seeking  behind  him  for  the  cause  of  his  anxiety.  As 
they  swam  on  farther,  Munday's  countenance  lost  nothing  of 
its  anxious  cast,  while  his  turnings  and  backward  glances 
became  more  frequent.  Trevannion  also  looked  back,  though 
only  to  ascertain  the  meaning  of  the  tapuyo's  manoeuvres. 
He  could  see  nothing  to  account  for  it,  —  nothing  but  the 
tree-tops  from  which  they  had  parted,  and  these  every  moment 
becoming  less  conspicuous.  Though  the  patron  did  not  perceive 
it,  this  was  just  what  was  causing  the  tapuyo's  apprehensive 
looks.  The  sinking  of  the  trees  was  the  very  thing  that 
was  producing  his  despondency. 

Stimulated  less  by  curiosity  than  alarm,  Trevannion  could 
keep  silent  no  longer.  "  Why  do  you  look  back,  Munday  ?  " 
he  inquired.     "  Is  there  any  danger  in  that  direction  ?    Have 


THE   GUIDE   ABANDONED.  145 

you  a  fear  that  we  shall  he  followed  ?    I  can  see  nothing  ex- 
cept the  tree-tops,  and  them  scarcely  at  this  moment." 

"  That 's  the  danger.  We  shall  soon  lose  sight  of  them  alto- 
gether ;  and  then  —  " 

"  What  then  ?  " 

"  Then  —  I  confess,  patron,  I  am  puzzled.  I  did  not  think 
of  it  hefore  we  took  to  the  water." 

"  O,  I  see  what  you  mean.  You've  heen  hitherto  guiding 
our  course  by  the  trees  from  which  we  parted.  When  the}' 
are  no  longer  in  view  we  shall  have' nothing  to  steer  by?" 

"  It  is  true.     The  Great  Spirit  only  can  guide  us  then  !  " 

The  Mundurucii  evidently  felt  more  than  chagrin  that  he 
had  expressed  himself  so  confidently  about  their  being  able 
to  cross  the  lagoon.  He  had  only  taken  into  consideration 
the  circumstance  of'  their  being  able  to  swim,  without  ever 
thinking  of  the  chance  of  their  losing  the  way.  The  trees 
sinking  gradually  to  the  horizon  first  admonished  him ;  and 
as  he  continued  to  swim  farther  into  the  clear  water,  he 
became  convinced  that  such  mischance  was  not  only  possi- 
ble, but  too  probable.  With  a  sort  of  despairing  effort  he 
kept  on  with  even  more  energy  than  before,  as  if  trying  how 
far  he  could  follow  a  straight  line  without  depending  on  any 
object  to  pilot  him. 

After  proceeding  thus  for  two  or  three  hundred  yards,  he 
once  more  raised  his  chin  to  his  shoulder  and  looked  back. 
The  tree-tops  were  barely  visible  ;  but  he  was  satisfied  on 
perceiving  that  the  one  from  which  they  had  started  rose 
up  directly  opposite  to  him,  thus  proving  that  in  his  trial 
stretch  he  had  gone  in  a  straight  line,  inspiring  him  with 
the  hope  of  being  able  to  continue  it  to  the  opposite  side. 
With  renewed  confidence  he  kept  on,  after  uttering  a  few 
phrases  of  cheer  to  the  others. 

Another  stretch  of  about  three  hundred  yards  was  passed 
through  in   silence,  and  without   any  incident  to   interrupt 
the  progress  of  the  swimmers.     Then  all  came  to  a  pause, 
7  j 


14G  AFLOAT   TN   Till!   FOREST. 

seeing  their  conductor,  as  before,  suspend  his  stroke,  and 
again  make  a  rearward  reconnoissance.  This  time  he  did 
not  appear  so  well  satisfied,  until  he  had  raised  his  head 
high  over  the  surface,  which  he  accomplished  by  standing 
erect,  and  beating  the  water  with  his  palms  downward,  when 
his  confidence  was  again  refreshed,  and  he  started  forward 
once  more. 

At  the  next  stopping-place,  instead  of  raising  himself  once 
into  the  standing  poise,  he  did  so  several  times  in  succession, 
each  time  sinking  down  again  with  an  exclamation  of  disap- 
pointment. He  could  not  see  the  trees,  even  at  the  utmost 
stretch  of  his  neck.  With  a  grunt  that  seemed  to  signify  his 
assent  to  the  abandoning  of  their  guidance,  he  again  laid 
himself  along  the  water,  and  continued  in  the  direction  he 
had  been  already  following ;  but  not  before  assuring  himself 
that  he  was  on  the  right  course,  which  fortunately  he  was 
still  able  to  do  by  noting  the  relative  positions  of  the  others. 

At  starting  away  from  this,  which  he  intended  should  be 
their  last  stopping-place,  he  delivered  a  series  of  admonitions 
intended  for  every  swimmer.  They  were  to  keep  their 
places,  that  is,  their  relative  positions  to  him  and  one  an- 
other, as  nearly  as  might  be ;  they  were  to  swim  gently  and 
slowly,  according  to  the  example  he  should  set  them,  so  that 
they  might  not  become  fatigued  and  require  to  pause  for  rest; 
and,  above  all,  they  were  not  to  bother  him  by  putting  ques- 
tions, but  were,  in  short,  to  proceed  in  perfect  silence.  He 
did  not  condescend  to  explain  these  strange  injunctions  fur- 
ther than  by  telling  them  that,  if  they  were  not  followed,  and 
to  the  letter,  neither  he  nor  they  might  ever  climb  into  an- 
other tree-top ! 

It  is  needless  to  say  that,  after  such  an  intimation,  his 
orders  received  implicit  obedience ;  and  those  to  whom  he 
had  given  them  swam  onward  after  him  as  silently  as  so 
many  fishes.  The  only  sound  heard  was  the  monotonous 
sighing  of  the  water,  seething  against  the  hollow  sapucaya- 


ROUND  AND   ROUND.  147 

shells,  now  and  then  varied  by  the  scream  of  the  caracara 
eagle,  as  it  poised  itself  for  a  second  over  their  heads,  in 
surprise  at  the  singular  cohort  of  aquatic  creatures  moving  so 
mysteriously  through  the  lagoons. 


CHAPTER    XLVIII. 

ROUND    AND    ROUND. 

FOR  a  full  hour  our  adventurers  preserved,  not  only  their 
relative  positions,  but  also  the  silence  that  had  been 
enjoined  upon  them.  None  of  them  spoke,  even  when  a 
dead  guariba  —  that  had  been  drowned,  perhaps,  by  attempt- 
ing a  leap  too  great  for  its  strength  and  agility  —  came  drift- 
ing along  among  them.  Not  one  of  them  took  any  notice  of 
it  except  the  ouistiti  upon  the  shoulders  of  Richard  Trevan- 
nion.  This  diminutive  quadrurnanous  specimen,  on  recogniz- 
ing the  body  of  one  of  its  big  kinsmen,  entered  upon  a  series 
of  chatterings  and  squeakings,  trembling  all  the  while  as  if 
suddenly  awakened  to  the  consciousness  that  it  was  itself  in 
danger  of  terminating  its  existence  in  a  similar  manner. 

Its  cries  were  not  heeded.  Munday's  admonition  had 
been  delivered  in  a  tone  too  serious  to  be  disregarded;  and 
the  ouistiti  was  permitted  to  utter  its  plaint,  without  a  single 
word  being  addressed  to  it,  either  of  chiding  or  consolation. 
Tranquillity  was  at  length  restored,  for  the  little  ape,  seeing 
that  no  notice  was  taken  of  it,  desisted  from  its  noisy  demon- 
strations, and  once  more  the  swimmers  proceeded  in  silence. 

Half  an  hour  or  so  might  have  elapsed  before  this  silence 
received  a  second  interruption.  It  again  came  in  the  voice  of 
the  ouistiti ;  which,  rearing  itself  on  its  tiny  hind-legs,  having 
the  shoulders  of  the  Paraense  for  a  support,  craning  its  head 


M8  AFLOAT  IN  THE   FOREST. 

outward  over  the  water,  commenced  repeating  its  cries  of 
alarm.  In  Beeking  for  an  explanation  of  this  conduct,  tiny 
contented  themselves  with  watching  the  movements  of  the 
alarmist,  and  hy  turning  their  eyes  towards  the  object  which 
appeared  to  attract  the  ouistiti  and  cause  it  such  evident 
alarm.  Each  buoyed  himself  up  to  get  a  good  view  ;  and 
each,  as  he  did  so,  saw  scarce  ten  paces  ahead  of  him  the  car- 
cass of  a  guariba !  It  was  drifting  towards  them  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  one  they  had  already  met ;  and  before  any  of 
them  thought  of  exchanging  speech,  it  "was  bobbing  about  in 
their  midst. 

The  reOection  that  occurred  to  the  swimmers  was,  that 
there  had  been  a  general  drowning  among  the  guaribas  some- 
where on  the  shores  of  the  lagoon :  perhaps  a  tribe  had  got 
into  some  isolated  tree,  where  their  retreat  had  been  cut  off 
by  the  inundation.  Had  the  tapuyo  not  been  of  the  party, 
this  theory  might  have  satisfied  all  hands,  and  the  journey 
would  have  been  continued,  instead  of  being  suddenly  inter- 
rupted by  the  tapuyo  himself.  He  was  not  so  easily  deceived. 
On  passing  the  first  guariba,  although  he  had  said  nothing,  he 
had  carefully  noted  the  peculiarities  of  the  carcass ;  and  as 
soon  as  he  swam  within  distinguishing  distance  of  the  second 
guariba,  he  saw  that  the  pair  were  identical.  In  other  words, 
our  adventurers  had  for  the  second  time  encountered  the  same 
unfortunate  ape. 

There  could  be  but  one  conclusion.  The  carcass  could  not 
have  changed  its  course,  unless  by  the  shifting  of  the  wind, 
or  the  current  of  the  water.  But  neither  would  have  ex- 
plained that  second  rencontre.  It  was  only  intelligible  upon 
the  supposition  that  the  swimmers  had  been  going  round  and 
round  and  returning  on  their  own  track  ! 


GOING  BY   GUESS.  149 

CHAPTER    XLIX. 

GOING    BY    GUESS. 

ALTHOUGH  their  guide  was  the  first  to  discover  it,  he 
did  not  attempt  to  conceal  the  dilemma  into  which  he 
had  been  instrumental  in  leading  them.  "  'T  is  true,  patron  ! " 
he  said,  addressing  himself  to  Trevannion,  and  no  longer  re- 
quiring compliance  with  bis  former  regulations.  "  We  have 
gone  astray.  That 's  the  same  monkey  we  met  before ;  so 
you  see  we  're  back  where  we  were  a  half-hour  ago.  Pa 
terra  !  It 's  crooked  luck,  patron  ;  but  I  suppose  the  Great 
Spirit  wills  it  so!" 

Trevannion,  confounded,  made  scarcely  any  reply. 

"  We  must  n't  remain  bere  anyhow,"  pursued  the  Indian. 
"We  must  try  to  get  to  the  trees  somewhere, — no  matter 
where." 

"  Surely,"  said  the  ex-miner,  "  we  can  accomplish  that  ?  " 

"  I  hope  so,"  was  the  reply  of  the  tapuyo,  given  with  no 
great  confidence. 

Trevannion  reflected  that  they  had  been  swimming  in  a 
circle.  Should  this  occur  again, —  and  there  was  every  pos- 
sibility of  such  a  thing,  —  the  desired  end  might  not  be  so 
easy  of  accomplishment. 

For  some  minutes  speculation  was  suspended.  The  guide 
was  engaged  in  action.  Like  a  water-spaniel  in  search  of  a 
winged  wild-duck,  he  repeatedly  reared  himself  above  the 
surface,  casting  glances  of  interrogation  to  every  quarter  of 
the  compass.  Like  the  same  spaniel,  when  convinced  that 
the  wounded  bird  has  escaped  him,  he  at  length  desisted  from 
these  idle  efforts ;  and,  laying  his  body  along  the  water,  pre- 
pared to  swim  disappointedly  to  the  shore. 

With  something  more  than  disappointment  —  something 
more  than  chagrin  —  did  Munday  commence  retreating  from 


150  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

the  lagoon.  As  he  called  upon  his  companions  to  follow  him, 
there  was  a  tremor  in  his  voice,  and  an  irresolution  in  his 
stroke  perceptible  to  the  least  observant  of  them;  and  the 
fact  of  his  having  shouldered  the  dead  guariba,  after  first 
making  inspection  to  see  that  it  was  fit  for  food,  was  proof  of 
his  entertaining  some  suspicion  that  their  voyage  might  be  a 
long  one.  No  one  questioned  him ;  for  notwithstanding  the 
failure  of  his  promise  to  guide  them  straight  across  the  la- 
goon, they  still  relied  upon  him.  On  whom  or  what  else 
could  they  rely? 

After  proceeding  a  considerable  distance,  he  came  to  a 
pause,  once  more  stood  up  in  the  water,  and,  turning  as  upon 
a  pivot,  scanned  the  circle  of  the  horizon.  Satisfied  that 
there  was  not  a  tree-top  within  view,  he  swam  onward  as 
before.  Could  he  have  insured  keeping  a  straight  course,  no 
great  danger  need  have  been  apprehended.  The  lagoon 
might  be  ten  miles  wide ;  or,  if  twenty,  it  could  not  so  mate- 
rially affect  the  result.  Swim  as  slowly  as  they  might,  a 
score  of  hours  would  see  them  on  its  shore, — whether  this 
was  the  spray  of  another  submerged  forest,  or  the  true  terra 
firma.  There  was  no  danger  of  their  going  to  the  bottom, 
for  their  swimming-belts  secured  them  against  that.  There 
was  no  danger  of  their  suffering  from  thirst,  —  the  contingen- 
cy most  dreaded  by  the  castaway  at  sea,  and  the  strayed  trav- 
eller in  the  desert,  —  of  fresh  water  they  had  a  surfeit.  Nor 
did  hunger  dismay  them.  Since  eating  the  jacana,  they  had 
set  forth  upon  a  breakfast  of  Brazil-nuts,  —  a  food  which, 
from  its  oily  nature,  may  be  said  to  combine  both  animal  and 
vegetable  substance.  Moreover,  they  were  now  no  longer 
unprovided  against  a  future  emergency :  since  their  guide 
carried  upon  his  shoulders  the  carcass  of  the  guariba. 

Their  real  danger  lay  in  their  deviating  from  a  right  line  : 
for  who  could  swim  straight,  with  his  eyes  on  a  level  with 
the  surface  of  the  water,  and  nothing  to  direct  his  course, 
neither  tree,  nor  rock,  nor  star,  nor  signal  of  any  kind  ?    The 


GOING  BY   6UESS.  151 

tapuyo  knew  this.  So  did  they  all.  Even  the  children  could 
tell  that  they  were  no  longer  guided,  but  going  by  guess- 
work. It  was  no  longer  a  question  of  getting  across  the  la- 
goon, but  out  of  it.  The  unsteady  movements  of  their  guide, 
instead  of  allaying  their  fears,  produced  the  contrary  effect, 
and  the  disconsolate  expression  on  his  countenance  was  evi- 
dence that  he  was  under  much  apprehension. 

For  over  an  hour  this  uncertainty  continued.  The  swim- 
mers, one  and  all,  were  beginning  to  give  way  to  serious 
alarm.  To  say  nothing  of  reaching  land,  they  might  never 
more  set  eyes  upon  the  submerged  forest.  They  might  swim 
round  and  round,  as  in  the  vortex  of  Charybdis,  until  sheer 
exhaustion  should  reduce  them  utterly.  In  due  time  hunger 
must  overtake  them  ;  and  a  lingering  death  by  starvation 
might  be  their  destiny.  AVhen  faint  from  want  of  food  and 
unable  to  defend  themselves,  they  would  be  attacked  by 
predatory  creatures  dwelling  in  the  water,  while  birds  of 
prey  would  assail  them  from  the  air.  Already  could  they 
fancy  that  the  cry  of  the  caracara  sounded  more  spiteful  than 
was  its  wont ;  and  exultingly,  as  if  the  base  bird  foreboded 
for  them  a  tragical  ending. 

More  than  twenty  times  had  the  tapuyo  repeated  his  in- 
spection of  the  horizon,  without  seeing  aught  to  cheer  him. 
They  had  been  many  hours  in  the  water,  and  supposed  it  to 
be  about  noon.  They  could  only  conjecture  as  to  the  time, 
for  the  sun  was  not  visible.  At  an  early  hour  in  the  morn- 
ing—  almost  as  they  started  —  the  sky  had  become  overcast 
with  a  sheet  of  leaden  gray,  concealing  the  sun's  disk  from 
their  sight.  This  circumstance  had  caused  some  discourage- 
ment ;  but  for  it  they  might  long  since  have  escaped  from 
their  dilemma,  as  the  golden  luminary,  while  low  down, 
would  have  served  them  as  a  guide. 

Strange  to  say,  at  that  hour  wlun  it  was  no  longer  of  any 
concern  to  them,  the  sky  became  suddenly  clear,  and  the  sun 
shone  forth  with  burniirj;  brilliance.     But  his  orb  was  now  in 


152  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

the  zenith,  and  of  no  service  to  point  out  the  quarter  of  the 
compass.  Within  the  equatorial  zone,  north,  south,  east,  and 
west  were  all  alike  to  him  at  that  season  of  the  year  and  that 
hour  of  the  day.  If  they  could-hut  have  the  direction  of  one 
of  these  points,  all  would  have  been  well.  But  the  sun  gave 
no  sign. 

For  all  that,  the  Indian  hailed  his  appearance  with  a  grunt 
of  satisfaction,  while  a  change  came  over  his  countenance 
that  could  scarce  be  caused  by  the  mere  brightening  of  the 
sky.  Something  more  than  cheerfulness  declared  itself  in 
his  dark  features,  —  an  expression  of  renewed  hope. 

"  If  the  sun  keep  on  to  show,"  said  he,  in  answer  to  the 
questioning  of  Trevannion,  "  it  will  be  all  right  for  us.  Now 
it's  no  good.  In  an  hour  from  now  he  '11  make  some  shadow. 
Then  we  shall  swim  as  straight  as  can  be,  never  fear,  patron ! 
we  shall  get  out  of  this  scrape  before  night,  —  never  fear  !  " 

These  cheering  words  were  welcome,  and  produced  univer- 
sal joy  where  but  the  moment  before  all  was  gloom. 

"  I  think,  patron,"  continued  the  tapuyo,  "  we  may  as  well 
stop  swimming  for  a  while,  till  we  see  which  way  the  sun 
goes.  Then  we  can  make  a  fresh  start.  If  we  keep  on  now, 
we  may  be  only  making  way  in  the  wrong  direction." 

The  tired  swimmers  were  only  too  ready  to  yield  compli- 
ance to  this-  bit  of  advice.  The  Mundurucii  made  one  more 
endeavor  to  catch  sight  of  the  tree-tops,  and,  being  still  un- 
successful, resigned  himself  to  inactivity,  and  along  with  the 
rest  lay  motionless  upon  the  water. 


GUIDED   BY   A  SHADOW.  153 

CHAPTER    L. 

GUIDED     BY    A     SHADOW. 

IN  this  way  about  an  hour  was  spent ;  though  by  no  means 
in  solemn  silence.  Perfectly  at  ease,  so  far  as  physical 
comfort  was  concerned,  upon  their  liquid  couch  the  swimmers 
could  converse,  as  if  stretched  upon  a  carpet  of  meadow- 
grass  ;  and  they  passed  their  time  in  discussing  the  chances 
of  their  ultimate  escape  from  that  cruel  situation,  to  which 
an  unlucky  accident  had  consigned  them.  They  were  not 
altogether  relieved  from  apprehension  as  to  their  present 
predicament.  If  the  sky  should  become  again  overcast,  they 
would  be  worse  off  than  ever,  since  there  was  the  loss  of 
time  to  be  considered.  All  were  constantly  turning  their 
eyes  upwards,  and  scanning  the  firmament,  to  see  if  there 
were  any  signs  of  fresh  clouds. 

Munday  looked  towards  the  zenith  with  a  different  de- 
sign. He  was  watching  for  the  sun  to  decline.  In  due 
time  his  watchfulness  was  rewarded;  not  so  much  by  ob- 
servation of  the  sun  itself,  as  by  a  contrivance  which  de- 
clared the  course  of  the  luminary,  long  before  it  could  have 
been  detected  by  the  eye. 

Having  cautioned  the  others  to  keep  still,  so  that  there 
should  be  no  disturbance  in  the  water,  —  otherwise  perfectly 
tranquil,  —  he  held  his  knife  in  such  a  way  that  the  blade 
stood  up  straight  above  the  surface.  Taking  care  to  keep  it 
in  the  exact  perpendicular,  he  watched  with  earnest  eye,  as  a 
philosopher  watches  the  effect  of  some  chemical  combination. 
In  a  short  time  he  was  gratified  by  observing  a  shadow.  The 
blade,  well  balanced,  cast  an  oblique  reflection  on  the  water ; 
at  first,  slight,  but  gradually  becoming  more  elongated,  as  the 
experiment  proceeded. 

Becoming  at   length  convinced    that  he  knew  west  from 


104  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOEEST. 

east,  the  tapuyo  restored  his  knife  to  its  place,  and,  calling 
to  his  companions  to  follow  him,  he  struck  off  in  the  direc- 
tion pointed  out  to  him  by  the  shadow  of  the  steed.  This 
would  take  the  swimmers  in  an  easterly  direction ;  but  it 
mattered  not  what  direction  so  long  as  it  carried  them  out 
of  the  lagoon.  As  they  proceeded  onward,  the  guide  occa- 
sionally assured  himself  of  keeping  the  same  course,  by  re- 
peating the  experiment  with  his  knife ;  but  after  a  time  he 
no  longer  needed  to  consult  his  queer  sun-dial,  having  dis- 
covered a  surer  guide  in  the  spray  of  the  forest,  which  at 
length  loomed  up  along  the  line  of  the  horizon. 

It  was  close  upon  sunset  when  they  swam  in  among  the 
drooping  branches,  and  once  more,  with  dripping  skins, 
climbed  up  into  the  tops  of  the  trees.  Had  it  not  been 
that  they  were  glad  to  get  to  any  port,  they  might  have  felt 
chagrin  on  discovering  that  chance  had  directed  them  to 
the  very  same  roost  where  they  had  perched  on  the  pre- 
ceding night. 

The  drowned  guariba  which  Munday  had  carried  from 
the  middle  of  the  lagoon  was  roasted,  and  furnished  their 
evening  meal ;  and  the  epicure  who  would  turn  up  his  nose 
at  such  a  viand  has  never  tasted  food  under  the  shadow  of 
an  Amazonian  forest. 


CHAPTER  LI. 

AROUND     THE     EDGE. 

DISCOURAGED  by  their  failure,  our  adventurers  re- 
mained upon  their  perch  till  nearly  noon  of  the  next 
day,  in  listless  lassitude.  The  exertions  of  the  preceding  day 
had  produced  a  weariness  that  required  more  than  a  night's 
rest,  for  not  only  their  bodies,  but  their  spirits  were  under  the 


AHOl~ND   THE  EDGE.  155 

influence  of  their  long  toil,  until  their  state  of  mind  bordered 
upon  despondency.  As  the  hours  wore  on,  and  their  fatigue 
was  gradually  relieved  by  rest,  their  spirits  rose  in  like  pro- 
portion ;  and  before  the  sun  had  reached  its  meridian,  the 
instinctive  desire  of  life  sprang  up  within  their  bosoms,  and 
once  more  they  began  to  consider  what  steps  should  be  taken 
to  prolong  it. 

Should  they  make  another  attempt  to  cross  the  lagoon  by 
swimming  ?  What  chance  would  there  be  of  steering  in  the 
right  course,  any  more  than  upon  the  day  before  ?  They 
were  just  as  likely  to  go  astray  a  second  time,  and  perhaps 
with  a  less  fortunate  finale.  If  again  lost  amidst  the  waste 
of  waters,  they  might  not  be  able  to  get  sight  of  the  tree-tops, 
but  swim  on  in  circles  or  crooked  turnings,  until  death,  aris- 
ing from  sheer  exhaustion,  or  want  of  food,  should  complete 
their  misery. 

Even  the  Mundurucii  no  longer  urged  the  course  in  which 
he  had  formerly  expressed  such  confidence ;  and  for  some 
time  he  declined  giving  any  advice  whatever,  —  his  silence 
and  his  gloomy  looks  showing  that  he  felt  humiliated  by  the 
failure  of  his  plan.  No  one  thought  of  reproaching  him ; 
for  although  their  faith  in  his  power  was  not  quite  so  strong 
as  it  had  hitherto  been,  there  was  yet  confidence  in  his  supe- 
rior skill.  Had  they  been  castaways  from  a  ship,  escaping 
in  an  open  boat,  or  on  some  raft  or  spar,  in  the  middle  of  the 
great  ocean,  their  cook  would  doubtless  have  disputed  his 
right  to  remain  master.  But  in  the  midst  of  that  strange  in- 
land sea,  whose  shores  and  islands  consisted  only  of  tree-tops, 
the  Mozambique  acknowledged  himself  to  be  no  more  than  a 
novice. 

Tre\  annion  himself  took  the  lead  in  suggesting  the  next 
plan.  It  was  not  intended  to  give  up  the  idea  of  crossing  the 
lagoon.  It  was.  a  general  belief  that  on  the  other  side  there 
must  be  land ;  and  therefore  to  reach  it  became  the  para- 
mount thought  of  the  party.     To  go  around  it,  by  keeping 


156  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

upon  the  tiers,  was  clearly  out  of  the  question.  Even  had 
these  continued  all  the  way  with  interlacing  branches,  still 
the  journey  would  have  been  one  that  apes  alone  could  per- 
form. It  would  have  occupied  days,  weeks,  perhaps  a  month; 
and  what  certainty  was  there  of  finding  food  for  such  a  length 
of  time  ?  Still,  if  they  could  not  travel  upon  the  tree-tops, 
what  was  to  hinder  them  from  going  tinder  them?  Why 
should  they  not  use  the  forest  to  steer  by,  —  swimming  along 
the  edge  of  the  trees,  and  making  use  of  them  at  intervals 
for  rest,  and  for  a  sleeping-place  during  the  night  ? 

The  idea  was  excellent,  and,  coming  from  Trevannion  him- 
self, was  of  course  approved  without  one  opposing  voice. 
Even  the  Indian  acknowledged  that  it  was  a  sagacious  de- 
sign, and  superior  to  his  own.  Fortunately  it  required  but 
slight  preparation  for  trial,  and  as  the  sun  shone  down  from 
the  zenith  they  forsook  their  resting-place,  and  once  more 
betook  themselves  to  the  water,  with  their  swimming-belts 
carefully  adjusted  again  about  them. 


CHAPTER  LII. 

TUB    MASSARANDUCA. 

THEY  advanced  at  the  rate  of  about  a  mile  an  hom\ 
Could  they  have  kept  on  steadily,  this  would  have 
given  them  ten  or  twelve  miles  a  day,  and  two  or  three  daj's 
might  have  brought  them  to  the  other  side  of  the  lagoon.  It 
was  necessary,  however,  that  they  should  stop  at  intervals  to 
obtain  rest ;  and  their  progress  was  further  impeded  by  the 
piosoca  plants,  —  the  huge  water-lilies  already  described,  — 
whose  broad,  circular  leaves,  lying  along  the  surface  like  gi- 
gantic frying-pans,  came  directly  in  their  course.     Here  and 


THE  MASSARANDUBA.  157 

there  they  had  to  traverse  a  tract  of  these  lilies  several  acres 
in  extent,  where  the  rims  of  the  rounded  leaves  almost 
touched  each  other ;  and  the  thick  succulent  stalks  formed  a 
tangle  underneath,  through  which  it  was  very  difficult  for  a 
swimmer  to  make  way.  More  than  once  they  were  com- 
pelled to  go  around  these  watery  gardens  for  a  distance  of 
many  hundreds  of  yards,  but  thus  shortening  the  journey 
made  in  the  right  direction. 

On  account  of  such  impediments  they  had  not  gone  more 
than  three  miles  from  their  point  of  starting,  when  the  Mun- 
durucu  recommended  a  halt  for  the  night,  although  it  could 
not  have  been  later  than  six  o'clock,  as  could  be  told  by  the 
sun,  still  high  up  in  the  heavens. 

"  I  am  hungry,  patron,"  said  the  Indian  at  last ;  "  so  are 
you  all.  We  must  have  some  supper,  else  how  can  we  go 
on?" 

"  Supper  ! "  echoed  Trevannion.  "  Yes,  sure  enough,  we 
are  hungry.  I  knew  that  an  hour  ago.  But  upon  what  do 
you  propose  to  sup  ?  I  see  nothing  but  trees  with  plenty  of 
leaves,  but  no  fruit.  "We  cannot  live  upon  leaves  like  the 
sloth.     We  must  be  starving  before  we  take  to  that." 

"We  shall  sup  upon  milk,  master,  if  you  don't  object  to 
our  making  a  camping-place  close  by." 

"Milk!  "  exclaimed  Tom.  "What  div  yez  say,  Misther 
Munday  ?  Div  yez  mane  milk  ?  Och  !  don't  be  after  tempt- 
in'  wan's  stomach  with  a  dilicacy  that  can't  be  obtained  in 
this  land  av  wather  !  Shure  now  we  're  not  only  a  hundred 
modes  from  the  tail  av  a  cow,  but  a  thousand,  may  be,  from 
that  same." 

"  You  may  be  wrong  there,"  interrupted  the  Paraense. 
"  There  are  pows  in  the  Gapo.  as  well  as  upon  land.  You 
have  seen  ihem  yourself  as  we  came  down  the  river  ? " 

"  Troth,  y is, — if  yez  mane  the  fish-cow"  (the  Irishman 
alluded  to  the  Vaca  marina,  or  manatee,  —  the  peixeboi  or 
fish-cow  of  the  Portuguese,  several  species  of  which  inhabit 


158  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

the  Amazon  waters).  "  But  shure  the  great  hrute  could  not 
be  milked,  if  we  did  cotch  wau  av  them  ;  an'  if  we  did  we 
should  not  take  the  throuble,  when  by  sthrippin'  the  skin  av 
her  carcass  we  'd  get  somethin'  far  betther  for  our  suppers,  in 
the  shape  av  a  fat  steak." 

"Yonder  is  what  the  Mundurucii  means! "  said  the  guide. 
"  Yonder  6tands  the  cow  that  can  supply  us  with  milk  for  our 
supper,  —  ay,  and  with  bread  too  to  go  along  with  it ;  don't 
you  see  the  Massarcuiduba  ?  " 

At  first  they  could  see  nothing  that  particularly  claimed 
attention.  But  by  following  the  instructions  of  the  guide, 
and  raising  their  heads  a  little,  they  at  length  caught  sight 
of  a  tree,  standing  at  some  distance  from  the  forest  edge,  and 
so  far  overtopping  the  others  as  to  appear  like  a  giant  among 
pygmies.  It  was  in  reality  a  vegetable  giant,  —  the  great 
massaranduba  of  the  Amazon,  —  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
trees  to  be  found  even  in  a  forest  where  more  strange  species 
abound  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  world.  To  Tom  and 
some  others  of  the  party  the  words  of  the  Mundurucii  were 
still  a  mystery.  How  was  a  tree  to  supply  them  with  a  sup- 
per of  bread  and  milk  ? 

Trevannion  and  Richard  required  no  further  explanation. 
The  former  had  heard  of  this  singular  tree ;  the  latter  had 
seen  it,  —  nay,  more,  had  drank  of  its  milk,  and  eaten  of  its 
fruit.  It  was  with  great  joy  the  young  Paraense  now  looked 
upon  its  soaring  leafy  top,  as  it  not  only  reminded  him  of  a 
spectacle  he  had  often  observed  in  the  woods  skirting  the  sub- 
urbs of  his  native  city,  but  promised,  as  the  tapuyo  had  de- 
clared, to  relieve  the  pangs  of  hunger,  that  had  become  agoniz- 
ingly keen. 


A  VEGETABLE   COW.  159 

CHAPTER    LIIL 

A   VEGETABLE    COW. 

THE  tree  which  bad  thus  determined  them  to  discontinue 
their  journey,  and  which  was  to  furnish  them  with  lodg- 
ings for  the  night,  was  the  famous  palo  de  vaca,  or  "  cow-tree" 
of  South  America,  known  also  as  the  arhol  de  leche,  or  "  milk- 
tree."  It  has  been  described  by  Humboldt  under  the  name 
Galactodendron,  but  later  botanical  writers,  not  contented 
with  the  very  appropriate  title  given  to  it  by  the  great  stu- 
dent of  Nature,  have  styled  it  Brosium.  It  belongs  to  the 
natural  order  of  the  Atrocarpads,  which,  by  what  might  ap- 
pear a  curious  coincidence,  includes  also  the  celebrated  bread- 
fruit. What  may  seem  stranger  still,  the  equally  famous 
upas-tree  of  Java  is  a  scion  of  the  same  stock,  an  atrocarpad! 
Therefore,  just  as  in  one  family  there  are  good  boys  and  bad 
boys,  (it  is  to  be  hoped  there  are  none  of  the  latter  in  yours,) 
so  in  the  family  of  the  atrocarpads  there  are  trees  producing 
food  and  drink  both  wholesome  to  the  body  and  delicious  to 
the  palate,  while  there  are  others  in  whose  sap,  flowers,  and 
fruit  are  concealed  the  most  virulent  of  poisons. 

The  massaranduba  is  not  the  only  species  known  as  palo 
de  vaca,  or  cow-tree.  There  are  many  others  so  called, 
whose  sap  is  of  a  milky  nature.  Some  yield  a  milk  that  is 
pleasant  to  the  taste  and  highly  nutritious,  of  which  the  "  hya- 
hya"  ( Taberntemontana  utibis),  another  South  American 
tree,  is  the  most  conspicuous.  This  last  belongs  to  the  order 
of  the  Apocyance,  or  dog-banes,  while  still  another  order,  the 
Sapotacce,  includes  among  its  genera  several  species  of  cow- 
tree.  The  massaranduba  itself  was  formerly  classed  among 
the  Sapotads. 

It  is  one  of  the  largest  trees  of  the  Amazonian  forest,  fre- 
quently found  two  hundred  feet  in  height,  towering  above  the 


160  AFLOAT   IN  TIIE  FOREST. 

other  trees,  with  a  top  resembling  an  immense  vegetable 
dome.  Logs  one  hundred  feet  long,  without  a  branch,  have 
often  been  hewn  out  of  its  trunk,  ready  for  the  saw-mill.  Its 
timber  is  very  hard  and  fine  grained,  and  will  stand  the 
weather  better  than  most  other  South  American  trees;  but 
it  cannot  be  procured  in  any  great  quantity,  because,  like 
many  other  trees  of  the  Amazon,  it  is  of  a  solitary  habit,  only 
two  or  three,  or  at  most  half  a  dozen,  growing  within  the  cir- 
cuit of  a  mile. 

It  is  easily  distinguished  from  trees  of  other  genera  by  its 
reddish,  ragged  bark,  which  is  deeply  furrowed,  and  from  a 
decoction  of  which  the  Indians  prepare  a  dye  of  a  dark  red 
color.  The  fruit,  about  the  size  of  an  apple,  is  full  of  a  rich 
juicy  pulp,  exceedingly  agreeable  to  the  taste,  and  much  rel- 
ished. This  is  the  bread  which  the  Mundurucii  hoped  to  pro- 
vide for  the  supper  of  his  half-famished  companions. 

But  the  most  singular,  as  well  as  the  most  important, 
product  of  the  massaranduba  is  its  milky  juice.  This  is 
obtained  by  making  an  incision  in  the  bark,  when  the  white 
sap  flows  forth  in  a  copious  stream,  soon  filling  a  calabash 
or  other  vessel  held  under  it.  On  first  escaping  from  the 
tree  it  is  of  the  color  and  about  the  consistency  of  rich 
cream,  and,  but  for  a  slightly  balsamic  odor;  might  be  mis- 
taken for  the  genuine  produce  of  the  dairy.  After  a  short 
exposure  to  the  air  it  curdles,  a  thready  substance  forming 
upon  the  surface,  resembling  cheese,  and  so  called  by  the 
natives.  When  diluted  with  water,  the  coagulation  does  not 
so  rapidly  take  place  ;  and  it  is  usually  treated  in  this  man- 
ner, besides  being  strained,  before  it  is  brought  to  the  table. 
The  natives  use  it  by  soaking  their  farinha  or  .maize-bread 
with  the  sap,  and  it  is  also  used  as  cream  in  tea,  chocolate, 
and  coffee,  many  people  preferring  it  on  account  of  the  bal- 
samic flavor  which  it  imparts  to  these  beverages. 

The  milk  of  the  massaranduba  is  in  great  demand  through- 
out all  the  district  where  the   tree   is  found,  both  in  the 


A  MILK  SUPPER.  161 

Spanish  and  Portuguese  territories  of  tropical  South  Amer- 
ica. In  Venezuela  it  is  extensively  used  by  the  negroes,  and 
it  has  been  remarked  that  these  people  grow  fatter  during 
the  season  of  the  year  when  the  palo  de  vaca  is  plenty. 
Certain  it  is  that  no  ill  effects  have  been  known  to  result 
from  a  free  use  of  it ;  and  the  vegetable  cow  cannot  be  re- 
garded otherwise  than  as  one  of  the  most  singular  and  in- 
teresting productions  of  beneficent  Nature. 


CHAPTER  LIV. 

A    MILK    SUPPER. 

IT  was  some  time  before  they  swam  under  the  massaran- 
duba's  wide-spreading  branches,  as  it  did  not  stand  on 
the  edge  of  the  forest,  and  for  a  short  time  after  entering 
among  the  other  trees  it  was  out  of  sight.  The  instincts 
of  the  Indian,  however,  directed  him,  and  in  due  time  it 
again  came  before  their  eyes,  its  rough  reddish  trunk  rising 
out  of  the  water  like  a  vast  ragged  column. 

As  might  have  been  expected,  its  huge  limbs  were  laden 
with  parasites,  trailing  down-  to  the  surface  of  the  water. 
By  these  they  found  no  difficulty  in  making  an  ascent,  and 
were  soon  safely  installed ;  its  huge  coreaceous  leaves  of 
oblong  form  and  pointed  at  the  tops,  many  of  them  nearly 
a  foot  in  length,  forming  a  shade  against  the  fervent  rays  of 
the  sun,  still  several  degrees  above  the  horizon. 

As  the  Indian  had  anticipated,  the  tree  was  in  full  bear- 
ing, and  erelong  a  number  of  its  apples  were  plucked,  and 
refreshing  the  parched  palates  that  would  have  pronounced 
them  exquisite  had  they  been  even  less  delicious  than  they 
were.     Muuday  made  no  stay  even  to  taste  the  fruit.     He 


1G2  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

was  determined  on  giving  his  companions  the  still  rarer 
treat  he  had  promised  them,  a  supper  of  milk  ;  and  not  until 
he  had  made  some  half-dozen  notches  with  his  knife,  and 
placed  under  each  a  sapucaya-shell  detached  from  the  swim- 
ming-belts, did  he  cease  his  exortions. 

They  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  vegetable  cow  proved  a 
free  milker,  and  in  twenty  minutes  each  of  the  party  had  a 
pericarp  in  hand  full  of  delicious  cream,  which  needed  no 
sugar  to  make  it  palatable.  They  did  not  stay  to  inquire 
how  many  quarts  their  new  cow  could  give.  Enough  for 
them  to  know  that  there  was  sufficient  to  satisfy  the  appetites 
of  all  for  that  night. 

When,  after  supper,  the  conversation  naturally  turned  to 
the  peculiarities  of  this  remarkable  tree,  many  other  facts 
were  elicited  in  regard  to  its  useful  qualities.  Richard  told 
them  that  in  Para  it  was  well  known,  its  fruit  and  milk  being 
sold  in  the  streets  by  the  negro  market-women,  and  much 
relished  by  all  classes  of  the  inhabitants  of  that  city  ;  that  its 
sap  was  used  by  the  Paraense  joiners  in  the  place  of  glue, 
to  which  it  was  equal,  if  not  superior,  guitars,  violins,  and 
broken  dishes  being  put  together  with  it  in  the  most  effective 
manner,  its  tenacity  holding  against  both  heat  and  dampness. 
Another  curious  fact  was,  that  the  sap  continues  to  run  long 
after  the  tree  has  been  felled :  that  even  the  logs  lying  in  the 
yard  of  a  saw-mill  have  been  known  to  yield  for  weeks,  even 
months,  the  supply  required  by  the  sawyers  for  creaming 
their  coffee ! 

And  now  our  adventurers,  admonished  by  the  setting  of  the 
sun,  were  about  stretching  themselves  along  the  branches, 
with  the  intention  of  going  to  sleep.  But  they  jvere  not  to 
retire  without  an  incident,  though  fortunately  it  was  such  as 
to  add  to  the  cheerfulness  lately  inspiring  the  spirits  of  all, 
even  to  the  macaw  and  little  monkey,  both  of  whom  had  am- 
ply regaled  themselves  upon  the  succulent  fruits  of  the  mas- 
saranduba.     The  great  ape,  again  left  behind,  had  been  alto- 


ONLY  A  DEAD-WOOD.  163 

gether  forgotten.  No  one  of  the  party  was  thinking  of  it ; 
or,  if  any  one  was,  it  was  only  with  a  very  subdued  regret. 
All  knew  that  the  coaita  could  take  care  of  itself,  and  under 
all  circumstances  it  would  be  safe  enough.  For  all  this,  they 
would  have  been  very  glad  still  to  have  kept  it  in  their  com- 
pany, had  that  been  possible;  and  all  of  them  were  glad 
when  a  loud  chattering  at  no  great  distance  was  recognized  as 
the  salutation  of  their  old  acquaintance,  the  coaita.  Directly 
after,  the  animal  itself  was  seen  springing  from  tree  to  tree, 
until  by  a  last  long  leap  it  lodged  itself  on  the  branches  of 
the  massaranduba,  and  was  soon  after  seated  upon  the  shoul- 
ders of  Tipperary  Tom. 

While  the  swimmers  were  proceeding  by  slow  stages,  the 
ape  had  kept  them  company  among  the  tops  of  the  adjacent 
trees ;  and,  but  for  its  being  delayed  by  having  to  make  the 
circuit  around  the  various  little  bays,  it  might  have  been 
astride  the  vegetable  cow  long  before  the  swimmers  them- 
selves. Coming  late,  it  was  not  the  less  welcome,  and  before 
going  to  sleep  it  was  furnished  with  a  fruit  supper,  and  re- 
ceived a  series  of  caresses  from  Tom,  that  in  some  measure 
consoled  it  for  his  double  desertion. 


CHAPTER  LV. 

ONLY     A     DEAD-WOOD 


"[""vESPITE  the  coarse  netting  of  the  hammocks  on  which 
\_s  they  were  constrained  to  pass  the  night,  our  adventur- 
ers slept  better  than  was  their  wont,  from  a  certain  feeling 
of  security,  —  a  confidence  that  God  had  not  forgotten  them. 
He  who  could  give  them  food  in  the  forest  could  also  guide 
them  out  of  the  labyrinth  into  which  their  own  negligence 
had  led  them. 


lG-i  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOBEST. 

A  prayer  to  Ilira  preceded  their  breakfast  on  the  cream 
of  the  cow-tree,  and  with  another  they  launched  themselves 
upon  their  strings  of  shells,  with  renewed  confidence,  and 
proceeded  along  the  curving  selvage  of  the  trees.  As  before, 
they  found  their  progress  impeded  by  the  "  ovens "  of  the 
piosoca ;  and  despite  their  utmost  exertions,  at  noon  they  had 
■made  scarce  three  miles  from  their  starting-point,  for  the  gi- 
gantic tree  that  had  sheltered  them  was  full  in  sight,  and 
even  at  sunset  they  could  not  have  been  more  than  six  miles 
from  it. 

In  the  forest  about  them  there  appeared  no  resting-place 
for  the  night.  The  trees  stood  closely  together,  but  without 
any  interlacing  of  branches,  or  large  horizontal  limbs  upon 
which  they  might  seek  repose.  For  a  time  it  appeared  as  if 
they  would  have  to  spend  the  night  upon  the  water.  This 
was  a  grave  consideration,  and  the  guide  knew  it.  With 
their  bodies  immersed  during  the  midnight  hours,  —  chill 
even  within  the  tropics,  —  the  consequences  might  be  serious, 
perhaps  fatal.  One  way  or  another  a  lodgement  must  be  ob- 
tained among  the  tree-tops.  It  was  obtained,  but  after  much 
difficulty.  The  climbing  to  it  was  a  severe  struggle,  and  the 
seat  was  of  the  most  uncomfortable  kind.  There  was  no 
supper,  or  comfort  of  any  kind. 

With  the  earliest  appearance  of  day  they  were  all  once 
more  in  the  water,  and  slowly  pursuing  their  weary  way. 
Now  slower  than  ever,  for  in  proportion  to  their  constantly 
decreasing  strength  the  obstruction  from  the  piosocas  appeared 
to  increase.  The  lagoon,  or  at  least  its  border,  had  become 
a  labyrinth  of  lilies. 

While  thus  contending  against  adverse  circumstances,  an 
object  came  under  their  eyes  that  caused  a  temporary  ab- 
straction from  their  misery.  Something  strange  was  lying 
along  the  water  at  the  distance  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  them.  It  appeared  to  be  some  ten  or  twelve  yards  in 
length,  and  stood  quite  high  above  the  surface.     It  was  of  a 


ONLY   A  DEAD-WOOD.  1G5 

dark  brown  color,  and  presented  something  the  appearance  of 
a  bank  of  dried  mud,  with  some  pieces  of  stout  stakes  pro- 
jecting upward.  Could  it  be  this  ?  Was  it  a  bank  or  spit 
of  land  ? 

The  hearts  of  the  swimmers  leaped  as  this  thought,  in- 
spired by  their  wishes,  came  into  every  mind.  If  land,  it 
could  be  only  an  islet,  for  there  was  water  all  around  it,  — 
that  they  could  perceive.  But  if  so,  an  islet,  if  no  bigger 
than  a  barn-door,  would  still  be  land,  and  therefore  welcome. 
They  might  stretch  their  limbs  upon  it,  and  obtain  a  good 
night's  rest,  which  they  had  not  done  since  the  wreck  of  the 
galatea.  Besides  an  islet  ever  so  small  —  if  only  a  sand-bar 
or  bank  of  mud  —  would  be  a  sort  of  evidence  that  the  real 
dry  land  was  not  far  off. 

The  dark  form  at  first  sight  appeai'ed  to  be  close  in  to  the 
trees,  but  Munday,  standing  up  in  the  water,  pronounced  it 
to  be  at  some  distance  from  them,  —  between  fifty  and  a  hun- 
dred yards.  As  it  was  evident  that  the  trees  themselves  were 
up  to  their  necks  in  water,  it  could  hardly  be  an  island. 
Still  there  might  be  some  elevated  spot,  a  ridge  or  mound, 
that  overtopped  the  inundation.  Buoyed  up  by  this  hope, 
the  swimmers  kept  on  towards  it,  every  eye  scanning  intently 
its  outlines  in  order  to  make  out  its  real  character.  All  at 
once  the  projections  which  they  had  taken  for  stakes  disap- 
peared from  the  supposed  spot  of  mud.  They  had  assumed 
the  shape  of  large  wading  birds  of  dark  plumage,  which,  hav- 
ing spread  their  long,  triangular  wings,  were  now  hovering 
above'  the  heads  of  the  swimmers,  by  their  cries  proclaiming 
that  they  were  more  astonished  at  the  latter  than  they  could 
possibly  be  at  them. 

It  was  not  until  they  had  arrived  within  a  hundred  yards 
of  the  object  that  its  true  character  was  declared.  "Pa  Ter- 
ra!" Munday  cried,  in  a  sonorous  and  somewhat  .sorrowful 
voice,  as  he  sank  despairingly  upon  his  breast ;  —  "no  island, 
—  no  bank,  —  no  land  of  any  kind.      Only  a  dead-wood  !  " 


1GG  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

"  A  dead-wood  !  "  repeated  the  patron,  not  comprehending 
what  he  meant,  and  fancying  from  the  chagrined  air  of  the 
Indian  that  there  might  be  mischief  in  the  thing. 

"  That 's  all,  master.  The  carcass  of  an  old  Manguba, 
that's  been  long  since  stripped  of  his  limbs,  and  has  been 
carried  here  upon  the  current  of  the  Gapo  ;  don't  you  see  his 
huge  shoulders  rising  above  the  water?" 

Richard  proceeded  to  explain  the  Indian's  meaning.  "  The 
trunk  of  a  dead  tree,  uncle.  It 's  the  silk-cotton-tree,  or  man- 
guba, as  Munday  calls  it.  I  can  tell  that  by  its  floating  so 
lightly  on  the  water.  It  appears  to  be  anchored,  though  ;  or 
perhaps  it  is  moored  among  the  stalks  of  the  piosocas." 

The  explanation  was  interrupted  by  a  shout  from  the  In- 
dian, whose  countenance  had  all  at  once  assumed  an  expres- 
sion of  cheerfulness,  —  almost  joy.  The  others,  as  they 
turned  their  eyes  upon  him,  were  surprised  at  the  sudden 
change,  for  but  a  moment  before  they  had  noticed  his  de- 
spairing look. 

"  The  Mumlurucu  must  be  mad,  patron,"  he  shouted. 
"  Where  is  his  head  ?  Gone  down  to  the  bottom  of  the  Gapo 
along  with  the  galatea ! " 

"What's  the  matter?"  inquired  Tom,  brightening  up  a3 
he  beheld  the  joyful  aspect  of  the  Indian.  "  Is  it  dhroy  land 
that  he  sees  ?     I  hope  it 's  that  same." 

"  What  is  it,  Munday  ?  "  asked  Trevannion.  "  Why  do  you 
fancy  yourself  insane  ?  " 

"  Only  to  think  of  it,  patron,  that  I  should  have  been  sorry 
to  find  but  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  The  trunk  of  a  tree,  —  a 
grand  manguba,  big  enough  to  make  a  montaria,  an  igarite, 
- — a  galatea,  if  you  like,  —  a  great  canoe  that  will  carry  us 
all !  Cry  Santos  Dios  !  Give  thanks  to  the  Great  Spirit ! 
We  are  saved  !  —  we  are  saved !  " 

The  words  of  the  tapuyo,  wild  as  they  might  appear,  were 
well  understood.  They  were  answered  by  a  general  shout 
of  satisfaction,  —  for  even  the   youngest  of  the  party  ceuld 


THE  STERCULIADS.  1G7 

comprehend  that  the  great  log  lying  near  them  might  be 
made  the  means  of  carrying  them  clear  of  the  dangers 
with  which  they  had  been  so  long  encompassed. 

"  True,  —  true,"  said  Trevannion.  "  It  is  the  very  thing 
for  which  we  have  been  searching  in  vain, — some  sort  of 
timber  that  would  carry  its  own  weight  in  the  water,  and 
us  beside.  This  dead  manguba,  as  you  call  it,  looks  as  if 
a  ton  would  not  sink  it  a  quarter  of  an  inch.  It  will  cer- 
tainly serve  us  for  a  raft.  Give  thanks  to  God,  children ; 
his  hand  is  in  this.  It  fills  me  with  hope  that  we  are  yet 
to  survive  the  perils  through  which  we  are  passing,  and  that 
I  shall  live  to  see  old  England  once  more." 

No  flock  of  jacanas  ever  created  such  a  commotion  among 
the  leaves  of  the  Victoria  lily  as  was  made  at  that  moment. 
Like  frail  leaves  the  thick  stems  were  struck  aside  by  the  arms 
of  the  swimmers,  strengthened  by  the  prospect  of  a  speedy  de- 
livery from  what  but  the  moment  before  seemed  extremest 
peril ;  and  almost  in  a  moment  they  were  alongside  the  great 
trunk  of  the  manguba,  in  earnest  endeavor  to  get  upon  it. 


CHAPTER     LVI. 

THE    STERCULIADS. 

IN  their  attempts  at  boarding  they  were  as  successful  as  they 
could  have  expected.  The  top  of  the  gigantic  log  was  full 
six  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  there  were  huge 
buttresses  upon  it  —  the  shoulders  spoken  of  by  Muiiday  — 
that  rose  several  feet  higher.  By  dint  of  hard  climbing,  how- 
ever, all  were  at  length  safely  landed. 

After  they  had  spent  a  few  minutes  in  recovering  breath, 
they  began  to  look  around  them  and  uxamiuo  their  strange 


1(58  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

craft.  It  was,  a«  the  Indian  had  alleged,  the  trunk  of  a  silk- 
cotton-tree,  the  famed  Bombax  of  the  American  tropical  for- 
ests, —  found,  though,  in  many  different  species,  from  Mexico 
to  the  mountains  of  Brazil.  It  is  known  as  belonging  to  the 
order  of  the  Sterculiads,  which  includes  among  its  genera  a 
great  number  of  vegetable  giants,  among  others  the  baobab 
of  Africa,  with  a  stem  ninety  feet  in  circumference,  though 
the  trunk  is  out  of  proportion  to  the  other  parts  of  the 
tree.  The  singular  hand-plant  of  Mexico  called  Manita  is 
a  sterculiad,  as  are  also  the  cotton-tree  of  India  and  the 
gum-tragaeanth  of  Sierra  Leone. 

The  bombax-trees  of  Tropical  America  are  of  several  dis- 
tinct species.  They  are  usually  called  cotton  or  silk-cotton- 
trees,  on  account  of  the  woolly  or  cottony  stuff  between  the 
seeds  and  the  outer  capsules,  which  resemble  those  of  the  true 
cotton  plant  (Gossypium).  They  are  noted  for  their  great 
size  and  imposing  appearance,  more  than  for  any  useful 
properties.  Several  species  of  them,  however,  are  not  with- 
out a  certain  value.  Bombax  ceiba,  and  B.  monguba,  the 
monguba  of  the  Amazon,  are  used  for  canoes,  a  single 
trunk  sufficing  to  make  a  craft  that  will  carry  twenty  hogs- 
heads of  sugar  along  with  its  crew  of  tapuyos.  The  peculiar 
lightness  of  the  wood  renders  it  serviceable  for  this  pur- 
pose ;  and  there  is  one  species,  the  ochroma  of  the  West  In- 
dies, so  light  as  to  have  been  substituted  for  cork-wood  in  the 
bottling  of  wines. 

The  silk  or  cotton  obtained  from  the  seed-pods,  though  ap- 
parently of  an  excellent  quality,  unfortunately  cannot  be  well 
managed  by  the  spinning-machine.  It  lacks  adhesiveness, 
and  does  not  form  a  thread  that  may  be  trusted.  It  is,  how- 
ever, extensively  used  for  the  stuffing  of  couches,  cushions, 
and  other  articles  of  upholstery ;  and  the  Amazonian  Indian? 
employ  it  in  feathering  the  arrows  of  their  blow-guns,  and  for 
several  other  purposes. 

A  peculiarity  of  the  Sterculiadg  is  their  having  buttresses. 


CHASED  BY  TOCANDEIRAS.  169 

Some  are  seen  with  immense  excrescences  growing  out  from 
their  trunks,  in  the  form  of  thin,  woody  plates,  covered  with 
bark  just  like  the  trunk  itself,  between  which  -are  spaces  that 
might  be  likened  to  stalls  in  a  stable.  Often  these  partitions 
rise  along  the  stem  to  a  height  of  fifty  feet.  The  cottonwood 
(Populus  angulata)  and  the  deciduous  cypress  of  the  Missis- 
sippi (Taxodium  distichum)  partake  of  this  singular  habit; 
the  smaller  buttresses  of  the  latter,  known  as  "  cypress 
knees,"  furnishing  the  "  cypress  hams,"  which,  under  their 
covering  of  hme-washed  canvas,  had  been  sold  (so  say  the 
Southerners)  by  the  Yankee  speculator  for  the  genuine 
haunch  of  the  corn-fed  hog ! 

In  spite  of  its  commercial  inutility,  there  are  few  trees  of 
the  South  American  forest  more  interesing  than  the  manguba. 
It  is  a  conspicuous  tree,  even  in  the  midst  of  a  forest  abound- 
ing in  types  of  the  vegetable  kingdom,  strange  and  beautiful. 
Upon  the  trunk  of  such  a  tree,  long  since  divested  of  its 
leaves,  —  stripped  even  of  its  branches,  its  species  distin- 
guishable only  to  the  eye  of  the  aboriginal  observer,  —  our 
adventurers  found  a  lodgment. 


CHAPTER   LVII. 

CHASED     BY     TOCANDEIRAS. 

THEIR  tenancy  was  of  short  continuance.  Never  did 
lodger  retreat  from  a  shrewish  landlady  quicker  than 
did  Trevannion  and  his  party  from  the  trunk  of  the  silk-cot- 
ton-tree. That  they  so  hastily  forsook  a  secure  resting-place, 
upon  which  but  the  moment  before  they  had  been  so  happy 
to  plant  their  feet,  will  appear  a  mystery..  Strangest  of  all, 
that  they  were  actually  driven  overboard  by  an  insect  not 
bigger  than  an  ant ! 


170  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

Having  gained  a  secure  footing,  as  they  supposed,  upon 
the  floating  tree-trunk,  our  adventurers  looked  around  them, 
the  younger  ones  from  curiosity,  the  others  to  get  acquainted 
with  the  character  of  their  new  craft.  Trevannion  was  mak- 
ing calculations  as  to  its  capability ;  not  as  to  whether  it  could 
carry  them,  for  that  was  already  decided,  but  whether  it  was 
possible  to  convert  it  into  a  manageable  vessel,  either  with 
sails,  if  such  could  be  extemporized,  or  with  oars,  which 
might  be  easily  obtained.  While  thus  engaged,  he  was  sud- 
denly startled  by  an  exclamation  of  surprise  and  alarm  from 
the  Indian.  All  that  day  he  had  been  the  victim  of  sudden 
surprises. 

"The  Tocandeiras!  —  the  Tocandeiras !  "  he  cried,  his 
eyes  sparkling  as  he  spoke  ;  and,  calling  to  the  rest  to  follow, 
he  retreated  toward  one  end  of  the  tree-trunk. 

With  wondering  eyes  they  looked  back  to  discover  the 
thing  from  which  they  were  retreating.  They  could  see 
nothing  to  cause  such  symptoms  of  terror  as  those  exhibited 
by  their  guide  and  counsellor.  It  is  true  that  upon  the  other 
end  of  the  tree-trunk,  in  a  valley-like  groove  between  two 
great  buttresses,  the  bark  had  suddenly  assumed  a  singular 
appearance.  It  had  turned  to  a  fiery  red  hue,  and  had  be- 
come apparently  endowed  with  a  tremulous  motion.  What 
could  have  occasioned  this  singular  change  in  the  color  of 
the  log  ? 

"  The  Tocandeiras  ! "  again  exclaimed  Munday,  pointing 
directly  to  the  object  upon  which  all  eyes  were  fixed. 

"  Tocandeiras  ?  "  asked  Trevannion.  "  Do  you  mean  those 
little  red  insects  crawling  along  the  log  ?  " 

"  That,  and  nothing  else.  Do  you  know  what  they  are, 
patron  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  the  slightest  idea,  only  that  they  appear  to 
be  some  species  of  ant." 

"That's  just  what  they  are,  —  ants  and  nothing  else! 
Those  are  the  dreaded  fire-ants.     We  've  roused  them  out 


A  LOG  THAT   WOULD  N'T   ROLL.  171 

of  their  sleep.  By  our  weight  the  manguba  has  gone  down 
a  little.  The  water  has  got  into  their  nest.  They  are 
forced  out,  and  are  now  spiteful  as  hungry  jaguars.  We 
must  get  beyond  their  reach,  or  in  ten  minutes'  time  there 
won't  be  an  inch  of  skin  on  our  bodies  without  a  bite  and  a 
blister." 

"  It  is  true,  uncle,"  said  Richard.  "  Munday  is  not  ex- 
aggerating. If  these  ugly  creatures  crawl  upon  us,  and  they 
will  if  we  do  not  get  out  of  the  way,  they  '11  sting  us  pretty 
nigh  to  death.     We  must  leave  the  log  !  " 

And  now,  on  the  way  towards  the  spot  occupied  by  the 
party,  was  a  fiery  stream  composed  of  spiteful-looking  crea- 
tures, whose  very  appearance  bespoke  stings  and  poison. 
There  was  no  help  for  it  but  to  abandon  the  log,  and  take 
to  the  water.  Fortunately  each  individual  was  still  in  pos- 
session of  his  string  of  sapucaya-shells  ;  and,  sliding  down 
the  side  of  the  log,  once  more  they  found  themselves  among 
the  grand  gong-like  leaves  of  the  gigantic  lily. 


CHAPTER    LVIII. 

A    LOG    THAT    WOULD    n't    ROLL. 

IT  now  became  a  question,  what  they  were  to  do.  Aban- 
don the  log  altogether,  for  a  swarm  of  contemptible  in- 
sects, not  larger  than  lady-bugs,  when,  by  the  merest  chance, 
they  had  found  a  raft,  the  very  thing  they  stood  in  need  of? 
Such  a  course  was  not  contemplated,  —  not  for  a  moment. 
On  gliding  back  into  the  Gapo,  they  had  no  idea  of  swim- 
ming away  farther  than  would  secure  their  safety  from  the 
sting  of  the  insects,  as  Munday  assured  them  that  the  fire- 
ants  would  not  follow  them  into  the  water.  But  how  regain 
possession  of  their  prize  ? 


172  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

The  ants^vere  now  seen  swarming  all  over  it,  here  and 
there  collected  in  large  hosts,  seemingly  holding  council  to- 
gether, while  broad  bands  appeared  moving  from  one  to  the 
other,  like  columns  of  troops  upon  the  march !  There  was 
scarce  a  spot  upon  the  surface  of  the  log,  big  enough  for  a 
man  to  set  his  foot  upon,  that  was  not  reddened  by  the  co- 
horts of  this  insect  army  ! 

"  How  shall  we  dispossess  them  ?  "  inquired  Trevannion. 

"  Shure,"  said  Tipperary  Tom,  answering  as  if  the  appeal 
had  been  made  to  him,  "can't  we  sit  thim  on  fire,  an'  burn 
thim  aft  the  log  ?  Cud  n't  we  gather  some  dry  laves  out  av 
the  threes,  an'  make  a  blaze  that  'ud  soon  consume  ivery 
mother's  son  av  thim  ?  " 

"Nonsense,  Tom.  We  should  consume  the  log,  as  well  as 
the  ants,  and  then  what  would  be  the  advantage  to  us  ?  " 

"  Well,  thin,  iv  yez  think  fire  won't  do,  why  can't  we  thry 
wather  ?  Lit  us  thry  an'  drownd  thim  off  the  log.  Munday 
sez  they  can't  swim,  an'  iv  they  can't,  shure  they  must  go 
to  the  bottom." 

"  How  would  you  do  it  ?  "  asked  Trevannion,  catching  at 
the  idea  suggested  by  the  Hibernian. 

"  Nothing  asier.  Give  the  did  three  a  rowl  over  on  its 
back,  an'  thin  the  ants  '11  get  undher  the  wather ;  an'  won't 
they  have  to  stay  there  ?  Lit  us  all  lay  howlt  on  the  log, 
an'  see  iv  we  can't  give  the  swate  craythers  a  duckin'." 

Convinced  that  there  was  good  sense  in  Tom's  counsel, 
swimming  back  towards  the  log,  they  stretched  their  arms 
upward,  and  commenced  trying  to  turn  it  over.  The  attempt 
proved  unsuccessful.  Partly  from  the  enormous  weight  of 
the  dead  tree,  saturated  as  one  half  of  it  was  with  water,  and 
partly  owing  to  the  great  buttresses  acting  as  outriggers,  they 
could  only  turn  it  about  one  tenth  part  of  its  circumference. 
It  rolled  back  upon  them,  at  first  dipping  a  little  deeper,  but 
afterwards  settling  into  its  old  bed.  They  were  about  to 
discontinue  their  efforts  when  a  cry  came  from  Tom,  as  if 


DROWNING   THE    TOCANDEIRAS.  173 

some  new  source  of  terror  had  been  discovered  in  the  man- 
guba.  Soon  each  and  all  found  an  explanation  in  their  own 
sensations,  which  were  as  if  they  had  been  sharply  stung  or 
bitten  by  some  venomous  insect.  While  shouldering  the  log 
in  vain  endeavors  to  capsize  it,  some  scores  of  the  ants  had 
been  detached  from  its  sides,  and  fallen  upon  the  bodies  of 
the  swimmers.  Instead  of  showing  gratitude  for  this  tempo- 
rary respite  from  drowning,  the  spiteful  insects  had  at  once 
imbedded  their  poisoned  fangs  in  their  preservers,  as  if  con- 
scious that  they  owed  all  their  misfortunes  to  the  intruders 
who  had  so  rudely  disturbed  their  rest.  But  when  these 
stray  ants  that  had  been  stinging  them  were  disposed  of,  their 
attention  was  once  more  directed  towards  the  manguba,  with 
a  still  more  determinate  resolution  to  repossess  what  in  their 
eyes  was  more  valuable  than  a  selected  log  of  the  finest 
Honduras  mahogany ! 


CHAPTER    LIX. 

DROWNING    THE    TOCANDEIRAS:    FIVE    MEN    IN    A    FEVER. 

FOR  a  time  the  brains  of  our  adventurers  were  busied  in 
devising  some  plan  for  routing  the  tocandeiras  from 
their  floating  citadel,  of  which  they  now  retained  sole  posses- 
sion. At  last  Tipperary  Tom  again  became  the  suggester  of 
a  scheme  for  dispelling  the  multitudinous  hosts. 

"  If  we  can't  spill  thim  aff  the  log,"  said  he,  "  we  can  wather 
thim  aff  it." 

"  Not  such  a  bad  idea,"  said  Richard.  "  Come  on,  let  us 
surround  the  trunk,  and  attack  them  on  all  sides,  and  let  all 
heave  together." 

The  dark  mud  color  that  had  characterized  it  when  first 


174  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

seen,  and  during  the  time  while  they  were  approaching  it, 
was  now  changed  to  a  hue  of  fiery  red,  here  in  spots  of  patch- 
es, there  in  broad  lists  or  streaks,  running  irregularly  between 
the  extremities.  Of  course  the  red  bands  and  blotches  mot- 
tling its  sombre  surface  were  the  tocandeiras,  whose  crowded 
battalions  were  distributed  all  over  it.  On  closer  scrutiny, 
it  could  be  seen  that  they  were  in  motion,  passing  to  and  fro, 
or  in  places  circling  around  as  if  in  search  of  the  intruders 
who  had  disturbed  them. 

At  a  word  from  Trevannion,  all  the  assailants  commenced 
heaving  up  water  with  the  palms  of  their  hands,  and  the  log 
became  shrouded  under  a  shower  of  sparkling  drops  that  fell 
fast  and  thickly  over  it,  dissipating  into  a  cloud  of  vapor  like 
the  spray  of  a  waterfall.  Under  such  a  drenching  the  tocan- 
deiras could  not  possibly  retain  their  hold,  however  tenacious 
might  be  their  sharp  curving  claws,  and  it  was  but  natural 
that  thousands  of  them  should  soon  be  swept  from  the  man- 
guba.  Their  assailants  saw  it,  and,  rejoicing  at  the  success 
of  their  scheme,  gave  utterance  to  triumphant  shouts,  just  like 
boys  destroying  with  hot  water  a  nest  of  wasps  or  hornets. 
Louder  than  all  could  be  heard  the  voice  of  Tipperary  Tom. 
It  was  he  who  had  suggested  the  scheme,  and  the  thought  of 
having  his  character  for  sagacity  thus  raised  caused  his  bois- 
terous fit  of  self-congratulation. 

But  the  splashing  suddenly  ceased,  and  the  six  pairs  of 
palms,  instead  of  being  turned  upward  and  forward  to  bale 
water  upon  the  log,  were  now  exerted  in  the  opposite  direc- 
tion, backward  and  downward,  while  the  owners  of  them  com- 
menced swimming  away  from  the  spot;  as  they  went  off", 
making  vigorous  efforts  to  free  themselves  from  the  spiteful 
creatures  again  clinging  to  them.  Not  one  of  them  said  a 
word  about  staying  longer  by  the  dead  manguba ;  but,  picking 
up  little  Rosa  on  the  wray,  they  continued  their  retreat,  nor 
paused  again  until  they  felt  sure  of  having  distanced  the  to- 
candeiras. 


DROWNING  THE  TOCANDEIRAS.  175 

As  a  matter  of  course  they  had  retreated  towards  the  tree- 
tops.  After  so  many  surprises,  accompanied  by  almost  con- 
tinuous exertion,  they  stood  in  need  of  rest.  Having  chosen 
one  that  could  be  easily  climbed,  they  ascended  to  its  branches, 
and  there  seated  themselves  as  comfortably  as  circumstances 
would  permit.  On  perceiving  that  the  sun  was  already  over 
the  meridian,  and  satisfied,  moreover,  that  the  task  of  getting 
rid  of  their  enemies  was  one  that  it  might  take  time  to  ac- 
complish, they  determined  to  remain  all  night  in  their  new 
situation.  But  there  was  a  more  powerful  reason  for  sus- 
pending their  journey  at  this  point.  They  were  suffering 
great  pain  from  the  stings  of  the  tocandeiras,  and,  until  that 
should  be  to  some  extent  allayed,  they  could  think  of  nothing 
else,  unless  indeed  it  might  be  a  mode  of  avenging  them- 
selves. 

It  was  fortunate  they  had  found  a  safe  place  of  repose, 
and  that  Munday,  who  suffered  less  than  the  rest,  preserved 
sufficient  composure  to  make  their  beds  or  hammocks  of 
sipos,  for,  in  less  than  twenty  minutes  after  ascending  the 
tree,  every  one  of  the  party,  Munday  and  Rosa  excepted, 
found  himself  in  a  raging  fever  from  the  stings  inflicted  by 
the  tocandeiras,  since  these  bloodthirsty  insects  not  only  bite 
as  other  ants,  but  have  the  power  of  stinging  like  wasps,  only 
that  the  pain  produced  by  their  sting  is  much  greater, — 
more  like  that  of  the  black  scorpion. 

As  the  sun  went  down,  a  cool  breeze  began  to  play  over 
the  waters  of  the  lagoa  ;  and  this  —  the  fever  having  burnt 
itself  out  —  restored  them  to  their  ordinary  health,  though 
with  a  feeling  of  languor  that  disinclined  them  to  do  anything 
for  that  night.  Stretched  upon  their  rude  aerial  couches, 
they  looked  up  at  the  stars,  and  listened  to  Munday  as  he 
made  answer  to  the  interrogatories  of  Trevannion  giving  an 
account  of  one  of  the  singular  customs  of  his  tribe,  —  that 
known  as  the  "  Festival  of  the  Tocandeiras." 


176  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

CHAPTER   LX. 

THE    FESTIVAL    OF    THE  TOCANDEIRAS. 

WHEN  a  youth  of  the  Mundurucii  nation,  or  its  kindred 
tribe,  the  Mahile,  has  reached  the  age  for  assuming 
the  dignities  of  manhood,  he  is  expected  to  submit  himself  to  ' 
an  ordeal  that  well  deserves  to  be  called  fiery.  This  more 
especially  if  the  youth's  ambition  inclines  him  to  become  a 
warrior  or  otherwise  distinguished  in  the  tribe.  The  ordeal 
is  voluntary;  but  without  undergoing  it,  the  young  Mundu- 
rucii must  consent  to  an  existence,  if  not  disgraced,  at  least 
inglorious ;  and  if  not  absolutely  scorned  by  the  girls  of  the 
Malocca,  he  will  have  but  slight  chance  of  winning  their 
smile6. 

It  must  be  known  to  my  young  readers  that  a  custom  pre- 
vails among  many  tribes  of  North  American  Indians  of  sub- 
mitting  their  young  men  who  aspire  to  become  "  braves  "  to 
a  test  of  courage  and  endurance  so  severe  at  times  as  to  be  a 
torture  quite  incredible  to  those  unacquainted  with  the  Indi- 
an character.  You  might  fancy  the  South  American  a  very 
trifling  affair,  compared  with  the  torture  of  the  Mandans  and 
other  Northern  tribes,  when  you  are  told  that  it  consists 
simply  in  the  wearing  of  a  pair  of  gloves,  or  mittens,  for  a 
certain  length  of  time,  —  so  long  that  the  wearer  can  make 
the  round  of  the  Malocca,  and  finish  up  by  an  obeisance  to 
the  tuchao,  or  chief,  who  awaits  him  at  the  door  of  his  hut. 
But  these  mittens  once  described  to  you,  as  they  were  de- 
scribed by  Munday  to  his  companions  on  the  tree,  you  -will 
perchance  change  your  mind  ;  and  regard  the  Mundurucii  cer- 
emony as  one  of  the  most  severe  that  was  ever  contrived  to 
test  the  constancy  and  courage  of  any  aspirant  to  distinction. 

When  the  young  Mundurucii  declares  his  readiness  to  put 
on  the  gloves,  a  pair  of  them  are  prepared  for  him.     They 


THE   FESTIVAL   OF   THE   TOCANDEIRAS.  177 

are  manufactured  out  of  the  bark  of  a  species  of  palm-tree, 
and  are  in  fact  only  long  hollow  cylinders,  closed  at  one  end, 
and  large  enough  to  admit  the  hand  and  arm  up  to  the  elbow. 
Before  being  drawn  on  they  are  half  filled  with  ants  of  the 
most  spiteful  and  venomous  kinds  ;  but  chiefly  with  tocandei- 
ras,  from  which  the  ceremony  derives  its  name. 

Thus  accoutred,  and  accompanied  by  a  crowd  with  horns, 
drums,  and  other  musical  instruments  in  use  among  the  In- 
dians, the  candidate  for  manhood's  rights  has  to  make  the 
round  of  the  village,  presenting  himself  before  every  hut, 
and  dancing  a  jig  at  every  halt  that  is  made.  Throughout 
all  the  performance  he  must  affect  signs  of  great  joy,  chant- 
ing a  cheerful  strain,  loud  enough  to  be  heard  above  the  beat- 
ing of  the  drums,  the  blowing  of  the  horns,  and  the  fracas  of 
his  noisy  followers.  Should  he  refuse  to  submit  to  this  terri- 
ble ordeal,  or  during  its  continuance  show  signs  of  weakness 
or  hesitation,  he  is  a  lost  man.  He  will  be  forever  after  the 
butt  and  scorn  of  his  tribe;  and  there  is  not  a  Mundurucu 
girl  who  will  consent  to  have  him  for  a  sweetheart.  His 
parents  and  relatives  will  also  be  affected  in  the  event  of  his 
proving  a  coward,  and  he  will  be  regarded  as  a  disgrace  to 
the  family. 

Stimulated  by  these  thoughts,  he  enters  upon  the  trial,  his 
friends  urging  him  forward  with  cries  of  encouragement, 
his  parents  keeping  by  his  side,  and  with  anxious  entreaties 
fortifying  him  against  a  failure.  He  has  courageously 
thrust  his  hands  into  the  fiery  gauntlets,  and  with  like  cour- 
age he  must  keep  them  there,  until  the  ceremony  is  com- 
pleted. He  suffers  cruel  torture.  Every  moment  increases 
his  agony.  His  hands,  wrists,  and  arms  feel  as  if  surrounded 
by  fire.  The  insect  poison  enters  his  veins.  His  eyes  are 
inflamed.  The  sweat  pours  from  his  skin,  —  his  bosom 
palpitates,  —  his  lips  and  cheeks  grow  pale  ;  and  jet  he 
must  not  show  the  slightest  acknowledgment  of  suffering. 
If  he  does,  it  will  cover  him  with  shame ;  and  he  will  never 
8*  L 


178  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

be  permitted  to  carry  the  Mundurucii  war-spear,  nor  impale 
upon  its  point  the  head  of  his  slain  enemy.  He  knows  the 
awful  fate  that  must  result  from  failure ;  and,  though  stagger- 
ing in  his  steps,  he  keeps  courageously  on.  At  length  he 
stands  in  the  presence  of  the  tuchao,  seated  to  receive  him. 

Before  the  chief  the  ceremony  is  repeated  with  increased 
excitement ;  the  dance  is  redoubled  in  vigor,  —  the  chant  is 
louder  than  ever,  —  both  continuing  until  his  strength  fails 
him  through  sheer  exhaustion.  His  gloves  are  then  re- 
moved, and  he  falls  into  the  arms  of  his  friends.' 

He  is  now  surrounded  by  the  young  girls  of  the  trihe, 
who  fling  their  arms  around  him,  covering  him  with  kisses 
and  congratulations.  His  sufferings  prevent  him  from  appre- 
ciating their  soft  caresses,  and  breaking  away  from  their  em- 
brace, he  rushes  down  to  the  river,  and  flings  his  fevered  body 
into  the  grateful  current.  There  remaining  until  the  cool 
water  has  to  some  extent  alleviated  his  pain,  he  comes  forth 
and  retires  to  the  Malocca,  to  receive  fresh  congratulations 
from  his  fellow-savages. 

He  has  proved  himself  of  the  stuff  of  which  warriors  are 
made,  and  may  now  aspire  to  the  hand  of  any  Mundurucii 
maiden,  and  to  the  glory  of  increasing  the  number  of  those 
hideous  trophies  that  adorn  the  council-room  of  the  tribe, 
and  which  have  earned  for  these  Indians  the  distinctive  sur- 
name of  Decapitadores  (Beheaders). 


$ 


CHAPTER  LXI. 

AMAZONIAN    ANTS. 

UCCEEDING  this  thrilling  account  of  the  tocandeira 
festival,  ants  continued  for  a  time   to  form  the  staple 


AMAZONIAN  ANTS.  179 

subject  of  conversation,  which  was  not  confined  to  the  par- 
ticular species  they  had  encountered  upon  the  log,  but  re- 
lated to  many  others  that  inhabit  the  forests  and  campos  of 
the  Amazon  valley.  Scores  of  sorts  were  known  to  the 
Mundurucii,  —  all  differing  from  each  other,  not  only  in  size, 
shape,  color,  and  what  may  be  termed  personal  character- 
istics, but  also  in  their  modes  of  life,  habits,  and  dwelling- 
place  ;  in  short,  in  every  particular  except  those  essential 
traits  which  make  them  all  members  of  the  same  family. 

The  entomologist  who  would  make  a  study  of  ant-life  could 
find  no  better  school  to  pursue  it  in  than  the  grand  valley  of 
the  Amazon.  In  all  parts  of  it  he  will  find  these  insects  in 
countless  numbers,  and  in  a  vast  variety  of  species,  —  separ- 
ated from  each  other  by  all  distinctions  of  classes  founded  on 
habits  of  life  quite  opposed  to  each  other.  Some  species  in- 
habit the  earth,  never  descending  below  its  surface.  Others 
live  under  it,  in  subterranean  dwellings,  scarce  ever  coming 
out  into  the  light  of  day.  Others  again  live  above  the 
earth,  making  their  home  in  the  hollow  trunks  of  trees ; 
while  still  others  lead  a  more  aerial  life,  building  their 
nests  among  the  twigs  and  topmost  branches. 

In  their  diet  there  is  a  still  greater  range.  There  are  car- 
nivora  and  herbivora,  —  some  that  feed  only  on  flesh,  oth- 
ers that  confine  themselves  to  vegetable  substances.  There 
are,  moreover,  kinds  that  devour  their  meat  before  the  life  is 
out  of  it ;  while  other  carnivorous  species,  like  the  vulture 
among  birds,  prey  only  on  such  carrion  as  may  chance  to 
fall  in  their  way,  and  in  search  of  which  their  lives  seem 
principally  to  be  spent. 

Then  there  are  the  vegetable  feeders,  which  not  only  strip  the 
leaves  from  plants  and  trees,  but  destroy  every  other  sort  of 
vegetable  substance  that  they  may  fancy  to  seize  upon.  The 
clothes  in  a  chest  or  wardrobe,  the  papers  in  a  desk,  and  the 
books  in  a  library,  have  all  at  times  been  consumed  by  their 
devastating  hosts,  when  foraging  for  food,  or  for  materials  out 


180  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

of  which  to  construct  their  singular  dwellings.  These  dwell- 
ings are  of  as  many  different  kinds  as  there  are  species  of 
ants.  Some  are  of  conical  shape,  as  large  as  a  soldier's 
tent.  Some  resemble  hillocks  or  great  mounds,  extending 
over  the  ground  to  a  circumference  of  many  yards.  Oth- 
ers represent  oblong  ridges,  traversed  by  numerous  under- 
ground galleries,  while  some  species  make  their  dwellings 
in  deep  horizontal  tunnels,  or  excavations,  often  extending 
under  the  bed  of  broad  rivers.  Many  kinds  lead  an  arbo- 
real life,  and  their  nests  may  be  seen  sticking  like  huge 
excrescences  to  the  trunks  of  the  forest-trees,  and  as  often 
suspended  from  the  branches. 

To  give  a  detailed  account  of  the  different  kinds  of  Amazo- 
nian ants,  —  to  describe  only  their  appearance  and  ordinary 
habits,  —  would  require,  not  a  chapter,  but  a  large  volume. 
Their  domestic  economy,  the  modes  of  constructing  their  domi- 
ciles, the  manner  of  propagating  their  species,  their  social  dis- 
tinction into  classes  or  castes,  the  odd  relations  that  exists  be- 
tween the  separate  castes  of  a  community,  the  division  of  labor, 
their  devotion  to  what  some  writers,  imbued  with  monarchical 
ideas,  have  been  pleased  to  term  their  queen,  —  who  in  reality 
is  an  individual  elected  for  a  special  purpose,  -s-  render  these 
insects  almost  an  anomaly  in  nature.  It  is  not  to  be  expect- 
ed that  the  uneducated  Indian  could  give  any  scientific  ex- 
planation of  such  matters.  He  only  knew  that  there  were 
many  curious  things  in  connection  with  the  ants,  and  their  in- 
door as  well  as  out-door  life,  which  he  had  himself. observed, 
—  and  these  particulars  he  communicated. 

He  could  tell  strange  tales  of  the  Termites,  or  white  ants, 
which  are  not  ants  at  all,  —  only  so  called  from  a  general  re- 
semblance to  the  latter  in  many  of  their  habits.  He  dwelt 
longest  on  the  sort  called  Saiibas,  or  leaf-carrying  ants,  of 
which  he  knew  a  great  number  of  species,  each  building  its 
hill  in  a  different  manner  from  the  others.  Of  all  the  species 
of  South  American  ants,  perhaps  none  surprises  the  stranger 


AMAZONIAN  ANTS.  181 

so  much  as  the  saiiba.  On  entering  a  tract  of  forest,  or  pass- 
ing a  patch  of  cultivated  ground,  the  traveller  will  come  to  a 
place  where  the  whole  surface  is  strewn  with  pieces  of  green 
leaves,  each  about  the  size  of  a  dime,  and  all  in  motion.  On 
examining  these  leafy  fragments  more  closely,  he  will  dis- 
cover that  each  is  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  a  little  insect 
not  nearly  so  big  as  its  burden.  Proceeding  onward  he  will 
come  to  a  tree,  where  thousands  of  these  insects  are  at  work 
cutting  the  leaves  into  pieces  of  the  proper  size,  and  flinging 
them  down  to  thousands  of  others,  who  seize  upon  and  carry 
them  off.  On  still  closer  scrutiny,  he  will  observe  that  all 
this  work  is  being  carried  on  in  systematic  order,  —  that 
there  are  some  of  the  insects  differently  shaped  from  the  rest, 
—  some  performing  the  actual  labor,  while  the  others  are  act- 
ing as  guards  and  overseers.  Were  he  to  continue  his  obser- 
vation, he  would  find  that  the  leaves  thus  transported  were  not 
used  as  food,  but  only  as  thatch  for  covering  the  galleries  and 
passages  through  which  these  countless  multitudes  make  their 
way  from  one  place  to  another.  He  would  observe,  more- 
over, so  many  singular  habits  and  manoeuvres  of  the  little 
crawling  creatures,  that  he  would  depart  from  the  spot  filled 
with  surprise,  and  unable  to  explain  more  than  a  tenth  part 
of  what  he  had  seen. 

Continuing  his  excursion,  he  would  come  upon  ants  differ- 
ing from  the  saiibas  not  only  in  species,  but  in  the  most  essen- 
tial characteristics  of  life.  There  would  be  the  Ecitons,  or 
foraging  ants,  which  instead  of  contenting  themselves  by 
feeding  upon  the  luxurious  vegetation  of  the  tropics,  would 
be  met  upon  one  of  their  predatory  forays,  —  the  object  of 
their  expedition  being  to  destroy  some  colony  of  their  own 
kind,  if  not  of  their  own  species.  It  may  be  that  the  foraging 
party  belong  to  the  species  known  as  jEciton-rapax, —  the 
giant  of  its  genus,  in  which  many  individuals  measure  a  full 
half-inch  in  length.  If  so,  they  will  be  proceeding  in  single 
file  through  the  forest,  in  search  of  the  nests  of  a  defenceless 


182  AFLOAT  IN   THE  FOREST. 

vegetable-feeding  ant  of  the  genus  Formica.  If  they  have 
already  found  it,  and  are  met  on  their  homeward  march  to- 
wards their  own  encampment,  each  will  be  seen  holding  in 
its  mouth  a  portion  of  the  mangled  remains  of  some  victim 
of  their  rapacity. 

Again,  another  species  may  be  met  travelling  in  broad  col- 
umns, containing  millions  of  individuals,  either  on  the  way 
to  kill  and  plunder,  or  returning  laden  with  the  spoil.  In 
either  case  they  will  attack  any  creature  that  chances  in  their 
way,  —  man  himself  as  readily  as  the  most  defenceless  ani- 
mal. The  Indian  who  encounters  them  retreats  upon  his 
tracks,  crying  out,  "  Taudca !  "  to  warn  his  companions  be- 
hind, himself  warned  by  the  ant-thrushes  whom  he  has  espied 
hovering  above  the  creeping  columns,  and  twittering  their 
exulting  notes,  as  at  intervals  they  swoop  down  to  thin  the 
moving  legion. 

Of  all  the  kinds  of  ants  known  to  the  Mundurucu,  there 
was  none  that  seemed  to  interest  him  more  than  that  which 
had  led  to  the  conversation,  —  the  tocandeira,  or,  as  the  Bra- 
zilians term  it,  formigade  fogo  (fire-ant).  Munday  had  worn 
the  formidable  mittens  ;  and  this  circumstance  had  no  doubt 
left  an  impression  upon  his  mind  that  the  tocandeira  w£ls  the 
truest  representative  of  spitefulness  to  be  found  in  the  insect 
world. 

Perhaps  he  was  not  far  astray.  Although  an  ant  of  ordi- 
nary size, — both  in  this  and  general  appearance  not  differing 
greatly  from  the  common  red  ant  of  England,  —  its  bite  and 
sting  together  are  more  dreaded  than  those  of  any  other  spe- 
cies. It  crawls  upon  the  limbs  of  the  pedestrian  who  passes 
near  its  haunt,  and,  clutching  his  skin  in  its  sharp  pincer-like 
jaws,  with  a  sudden  twitch  of  the  tail  it  inserts  its  venomous 
sting  upon  the  instant,  holding  on  after  it  has  made  the 
wound,  and  so  tenaciously  that  it  is  often  torn  to  pieces  while 
being  detached.  It  will  even  go  out  of  its  way  to  attack  any 
one  standing  near.     And  at  certain  landing-places  upon  some 


THE  ANTS  STILL   EXCITED.  183 

of  the  Amazonian  rivers,  the  ground  is  so  occupied  with  its 
hosts  that  treading  there  is  attended  with  great  danger.  In 
fact,  it  is  on  record  that  settlements  have  been  abandoned  on 
account  of  the  fire-ant  suddenly  making  its  appearance,  and 
becoming  the  pest  of  the  place. 

Munday,  in  conclusion,  declared  that  the  tocandeiras  were 
only  found  in  the  dry  forests  and  sandy  eampos  ;  that  he 
had  never  before  seen  one  of  their  swarms  in  the  Gapo,  and 
that  these  in  the  dead-wood  must  have  retreated  thither  in 
haste,  to  escape  drowning  when  caught  by  the  inundation, 
and  that  the  log  had  been  afterwards  drifted  away  by  the 
echente. 

Whether  this  statement  was  true  or  not,  the  ants  appeared 
to  have  made  up  their  minds  to  stay  there,  and  permit  no  in- 
truders to  deprive  them  of  their  new,  strange  domicile, —  at 
all  events  until  the  vasante  might  enable  them  once  more  to 
set  foot  upon  dry  land. 


CHAPTER  LXII. 

THE     ANTS     STILL     EXCITED. 

AT  break  of  day  the  party  were  all  awake  ;  and  after  re- 
freshing themselves-  with  a  little  cheese  —  which  was 
only  some  coagulated  milk  of  the  massaranduba,  preserved  in 
sapucaya-shells  —  they  once  more  turned  their  attention  to 
the  floating  trunk.  To  their  surprise,  it  was  no  longer  where 
they  had  left  it ! 

There  was  a  fog  upon  the  water,  but  that  was  rapidly  be- 
coming dissipated  ;  and  as  the  sun  peeped  over  the  tree-tops, 
the  lagoa  was  sufficiently  free  from  mist  for  any  dark  object 
as  large  as  a  man's  head,  within  a  mile's  distance,  to  be  dis- 


184  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

tinguished.  The  manguba  had  been  left  scarce  a  hundred 
yards  from  their  sleeping-place.     Where  was  it  now  ? 

"  Yonder  !  "  said  Munday,  "  close  in  by  the  trees.  By  our 
splashing  in  the  water,  we  started  it  from  its  moorings  among 
the  piosocas.  There  has  been  a  little  breeze  through  the 
night,  that  has  brought  it  this  way.  It  is  now  at  anchor 
against  yonder  tree.  I  should  n't  wonder  if  the  ants  would 
try  to  escape  from  it,  and  take  to  the  branches  above  them. 
The  dead  manguba  is  not  their  natural  home ;  nor  is  the 
Gapo  their  dwelling-place.  The  tocandeiras  belong  on  land ; 
and  no  one  would  expect  to  find  them  here.  They  must 
have  had  their  home  in  the  hollow  of  the  log  while  it  was. 
lying  on  dry  land.  The  echente  set  it  afloat  while  they  were 
inside,  and  the  current  has  carried  them  far  away  from  their 
own  country." 

So  they  now  turned  to  ascertain  whether  Munday's  con- 
jectures were  true,  that  the  ants  had  taken  to  the  tree  that 
stood  over  the  dead-wood,  which  was  at  no  great  distance  ; 
and  as  the  sun  had  now  completely  dispelled  the  fog,  they 
could  see  it  very  distinctly.  The  tocandeiras  were  still  upon 
it.  Their  countless  hosts  were  seen  moving  over  its  surface 
in  all  their  red  array,  apparently  as  much  excited  as  when 
putting  to  flight  the  swimmers  who  had  intruded  upon  them. 

The  log,  although  close  to  the  stem  of  the  standing  tree, 
was  not  in  connection  with  it.  Something  held  it  several  feet 
off;  and  as  none  of  the  drooping  branches  reached  quite 
down,  it  was  impossible  for  the  insects  to  reach  the  tree,  al- 
though they  evidently  desired  to  make  this  change,  as  if  sud- 
denly dissatisfied  with  their  quarters  on  the  drifting  trunk, 
and  wishing  to  change  them  for  others  less  at  the  mercy  of 
the  winds  and  waves. 

As  there  was  something  curious  in  all  this,  something  that 
could  not  fail  to  fix  the  attention  of  the  observer,  our  adven- 
turers remained  silent,  watching  the  movements  of  the  insect 
multitude,  in  hopes  that  they  might  find  some  way  of  detach- 


THE   TAMANDUA.  185 

ing  themselves  from  the  floating  log,  and  leave  in  peaceable 
and  undisputed  possession  the  quarters  they  appeared  so  de- 
sirous of  quitting  to  those  who  were  equally  desirous  of  enter- 
ing upon  them. 


CHAPTER  LX  III. 

THE    TAMANDUA  :    THE    ANT-THRUSH. 

TRUSTING  to  the  explanation  given  by  the  tapuyo,  they 
did  not  think  of  inquiring  further  into  the  cause  of  the 
commotion  among  the  ants.  While  scanning  the  tree  closely, 
several  of  the  party  perceived  a  movement  among  its  branch- 
es, and  soon  after  the  form  of  a  singular  creature  that  was 
causing  it.  It  was  a  quadruped,  about  the  size  of  a  raccoon 
or  cat,  but  of  a  shape  peculiarly  its  own.  Its  body  was 
long  and  cylindrical,  terminating  posteriorly  in  a  round,  ta- 
pering tail,  while  its  low,  flat  head,  prolonged  into  a  smooth, 
slender  muzzle,  also  tapered  nearly  to  a  point.  The  eyes 
were  so  small  as  scarcely  to  be  seen,  and  the  mouth  more  re- 
sembled a  round  hole  than  the  closing  of  a  pair  of  jaws.  It 
was  covered  with  a  dense  silky  fur,  of  a  uniform  length  over 
the  body,  and  slightly  crisped,  so  as  to  give  it  a  woolly  as- 
pect. This  fur  was  straw-colored,  with  a  tinge  of  maroon 
and  brown  on  the  shoulders  and  along  the  back,  while  the  tail 
presented  a  ringed  appearance  from  an  alternation  of  the  two 
color.--. 

"  Tamandua  !  "  exclaimed  Munday,  at  sight  of  the  strange 
quadruped.  "  The  ant-eater.  Not  the  great  one,  which  is 
called  Tamandua  assa,  and  don't  climb  up  the  trees.  That 
you  see  is  the  little  one  ;  he  lives  all  his  life  among  the 
branches,  —  sleeps  there,  either  upon  his  breast,  or  suspended 
by  his  tail,  —  travels  from  one  tree  to  another  in  search  of 


18G  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

honey,  bees,  wasps,  grubs,  but,  above  all,  of  such  ants  as 
make  their  nests  either  in  holes,  or  stick  to  the  twigs.  Ha!" 
he  continued,  "what  could  I  have  been  thinking  of?  The 
tocandeiras  wishing  to  climb  up  to  the  tree?  Not  a  bit  of  it. 
Quite  the  contrary.  It 's  the  tamandua  that 's  keeping  them 
in  motion !  See  the  cunning  beast  preparing  to  make  a  de- 
scent among  them!" 

Nothing  could  be  more  certain  than  that  this  was  the 
tamandua's  intention  ;  for  almost  on  the  instant  it  was  seen 
to  move  among  the  branches,  descending  from  one  to  the 
other,  partly  using  its  strong,  hooked  claws,  and  partly  its 
tapering  and  highly  prehensile  tail.  Once  upon  the  dead- 
wood,  it  lay  flat  down  upon  its  breast  and  belly  ;  and  shoot- 
ing out  its  long,  thread-like  tongue,  coated  with  a  sticky 
shining  substance  resembling  saliva,  it  commenced  licking 
up  the  tocandeiras  that  swarmed  in  thousands  around  it. 
It  was  to  no  purpose  that  the  ants  made  an  attack  upon  it. 
Nature  had  provided  it  with  an  armor  proof  both  against 
their  bite  and  sting.  Rage  around  it  as  they  might,  the 
tocandeiras  could  do  nothing  to  hinder  it  from  licking  them 
up  from  the  log,  and  tucking  them  in  hundreds  into  its  capa- 
cious stomach.  Finally  the  tamandua  had  taken  his  fill,  — 
breakfasted  to  his  heart's  content ;  then,  erecting  himself  on 
his  hind  legs  after  the  manner  of  a  squirrel  or  marmoset, 
he  sprang  back  upon  the  branch  from  which  he  had  de- 
scended. Going  a  little  higher  up,  he  selected  another  and 
larger  branch,  placing  himself  so  that  his  belly  rested  along 
its  upper  surface,  with  the  legs  hanging  down  on  each  side ; 
and  then,  burying  his  proboscis  in  the  long  fur  of  his  breast, 
and  taking  two  or  three  turns  of  his  tail  around  head,  body, 
and  legs,  he  fell  fast  asleep. 

The  old  saw,  that  there  is  "  many  a  slip  between  the  cup 
and  the  lip,"  is  as  true  in  the  life  of  ant-eater  as  in  that  of 
a  man ;  and  when  the  tamandua  awoke,  —  which  it  did  some 
twenty   minutes   afterwards,  —  and  looked  down   upon   the 


THE  TAMANDUA.  187 

dead-wood,  it  was  astonished  to  discover  that  not  a  tocan- 
deira  was  in  sight. 

What  had  become  of  them  ?  When  left  by  the  tamandua 
to  their  own  devices  there  were  myriads  still  surviving. 
The  few  thousands  which  the  devourer  licked  up  had  made 
no  perceptible  diminution  in  their  numbers ;  and  on  the 
retiring  of  their  enemy,  they  were  swarming  as  thickly  and 
countlessly  as  ever.  Now  not  one  was  visible  upon  the  log, 
the  hue  of  which,  from  being  of  a  flaming  red,  had  returned 
to  its  original  color  of  sombre  gray.  A  few  were  discovered 
upon  the  standing  tree,  crawling  up  its  trunk  and  lower 
branches,  with  excited  air  and  rapid  movements,  as  if  escap- 
ing from  terrible  disaster.  These  refugees  did  not  amount 
to  many  hundreds ;  thinly  scattered  over  the  bark,  they 
could  have  been  counted.  They  were  too  few  to  tempt  the 
hunger  of  the  tamandua.  It  would  not  have  been  worth  his 
while  to  project  his  slimy  tongue  for  the  sake  of  a  single 
tocandeira ;  so  he  retained  it  —  not  behind  his  teeth,  for  he 
had  none  —  but  within  the  cylinder-shaped  cavity  of  his 
mouth.  What  had  become  of  the  tocandeiras  ?  It  is  pos- 
sible that  the  tamandua  mentally  put  this  question  to  him- 
self; for  there  is  no  animal,  however  humble  its  organization, 
that  has  not  been  gifted  by  beneficent  Nature  with  a  mind 
and  powers  of  reasoning,  —  ay,  with  moral  perceptions  of 
at  least  the  primary  principles  of  right  and  wrong,  as  even 
the  little  ant-eater  gives  evidence. 

Perhaps  you  have  yourself  witnessed  the  proof.  You  have 
seen  one  ant  rob  another  of  its  crumb  of  bread,  that  by  a  la- 
borious effort  has  been  carried  far.  You  have  seen  the  com- 
panions of  both  gather  around  the  spot,  deprive  the  despoiler 
of  its  ill-gotten  prize,  restore  the  crumb  to  its  lawful  possess- 
or, and  punish  the  would-be  pilferer.  If  you  have  not  seen 
this,  others  have,  —  myself  among  the  number.  Surely,  it  is 
reason ;  surely,  it  is  moral  perception.  If  not,  what  is  it  ? 
The  closet-naturalist  calls  it  instinct,  —  a  ready  word  to  cloak 


188  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

that  social  cowardice  which  shrinks  from  acknowledging  that 
besides  man  there  arc  other  beings  upon  the  earth  with  tal- 
ents worth  saving. 

Soon  after  the  ant-eater  had  gone  to  sleep,  a  little  bird 
about  the  size  of  a  starling  was  seen  Hitting  about.  It  was 
of  the  ordinary  shape  of  the  shrikes,  or  fly-catchers,  and,  like 
them,  of  sombre  plumage,  —  a  dull  gray  blended  with  bluish 
slate.  As  already  said,. it  was  flitting  about  among  the  tree- 
tops,  now  and  then  rising  above  them,  and  hovering  for  a 
while  in  the  air ;  then  lighting  again  upon  a  branch,  and  from 
this  hopping  to  another,  and  another,  all  the  time  giving  ut- 
terance to  twittering  but  scarcely  musical  notes. 

"An  ant-thrush,"  Muuday  said.  "It's  hunting  about  for 
the  very  creatures  that  are  swarming  on  that  log.  If  it  should 
spy  them  we'll  have  no  more  trouble  with  the  tocandeiras. 
That  friend  will  clear  them  out  of  our  way.  If  it  but  gets 
its  eye  on  that  red  crowd,  it  '11  treat  them  very  differently 
from  what  the  beast  has  done.  In  twenty  minutes  there 
won't  be  a  tocandeira  to  sting  us.  May  the  Great  Spirit 
prove  propitious,  and  turn  its  eyes  upon  the  dead-wood ! " 

For  a  time  the  bird  kept  up  its  flickering  flight  and  twit- 
tering cry,  while  our  adventurers  watched  it  manoeuvres,  keep- 
ing quiet,  as  a  precaution  against  scaring  it  away.  All  at  once 
the  ant-thrush  changed  its  tactics,  and  its  louder  note  pro- 
claimed a  surprise.  It  had  come  close  to  the  tree  that  con- 
tained the  tamandua,  and  saw  the  quadruped  taking  its  siesta 
upon  the  branch.  From  the  presence  of  the  ant-eater  it  ar- 
gued the  proximity  of  their  common  prey. 

The  swarm  of  fire-ants,  reddening  the  log,  formed  too  con- 
spicuous an  object  to  escape  being  seen.  The  ant-thrush  soon 
saw  them,  and  announced  the  discovery  with  a  screech,  which 
was  a  signal  to  scores  of  hungry  companions.  It  was  an- 
swered by  what  seemed  a  hundred  echoes,  aud  soon  the  air 
resounded  with  whistling  wings,  as  the  feathered  ant-eaters 
came  crowding  to  the  feast. 


ANT-EATERS  —  BIPED   AND   QUADRUPED.  189 

Boy  reader,  5-011  have  bred  pigeons,  and  fed  them  too. 
You  have  flung  before  them  whole  baskets  of  barley,  and 
pecks  of  oats,  until  the  pavement  was  thickly  strewed.  You 
have  observed  how  quickly  they  could  clear  the  ground  of  the 
grain.  "With  the  like  rapidity  was  the  log  cleared  of  the  to- 
candeiras.  In  ten  minutes  not  a  single  insect  could  be  seen 
upon  it;  and  then  the  feathered  ant-eaters,  without  giving 
the  tamandua  a  hint  that  his  premises  had  been  despoiled, 
flew  off  into  the  forest  in  search  of  a  fresh  swarm. 


CHAPTER    LXIV. 

ANT-EATERS BIPED    AND    QUADRUPED. 

THE  spectacle  of  the  bird  ant-eaters  engaged  in  their 
work  of  destruction  is  one  that  may  be  seen  almost 
every  day  in  the  Amazonian  region.  The  presence  of  an 
army  of  ants  passing  from  place  to  place  through  the  forest 
—  themselves  often  bent  upon  a  marauding  and  murderous 
expedition  —  may  often  be  discovered  long  belong  the  insects 
themselves  are  in  sight,  by  the  twittering  cries  and  excited 
actions  of  the  ant-thrushes,  that  in  large  flocks  are  seen  hov- 
ering above  them.  The  traveller  takes  warning  by  the  spec- 
tacle. Experience  has  long  ago  taught  him  that  to  stray  in- 
to the  midst  of  a  party  of  foraging  ants  is  no  slight  matter. 
It  would  be  like  dancing  an  Irish  jig  over  a  nest  of  hornets. 
He  is  sure  of  being  attacked,  bitten,  and  stung  by  the  ven- 
omous insects ;  and  on  hearing  the  call  of  the  ant-thrush,  he 
beats  an  instant  retreat.  The  quadruped  licking  up  his  in- 
sect prey  is  a  sight  of  less  frequent  occurrence. 

Of  these  four-footed   ant-eaters   there   are  many   distinct 
kinds,    differing    very    considerably    in    their  habits   of  life. 


190  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

Four  species  are  known  to  naturalists ;  but  it  is  probable 
that  tbere  are  many  more  yet  to  be  discovered  and  described. 
The  Indians  who  are  best  acquainted  with  the  remote  haunts 
of  the  great  mountain  wilderness  of  interior  South  America 
assert  that  there  are  others ;  and  their  testimony  is  generally 
derived  from  acute  observation.  Of  the  four  known  species 
there  is  the  great  ant-eater  (Myrmecophar/a  jubata)  called 
Tamanoir,  large  as  a  mastiff  dog,  and  a  match  for  most  dogs 
in  strength,  often  even  killing  one  by  squeezing  the  breath  out 
of  his  body  between  its  thick,  muscular  fore-limbs.  This  is 
the  Tamandua  bandeira,  or  "  banner  tamandua  "  of  the  na- 
tives, so  called  from  the  peculiar  marking  of  its  skin,  —  each 
side  of  the  body  being  marked  by  a  broad  blackish  band  run- 
ning obliquely  from  the  shoulders,  and  suggesting  the  resem- 
blance of  an  heraldic  banner.  It  lives  in  the  drier  forests, 
making  its  haunt  wherever  the  white  ants  {termites),  those 
that  construct  the  great  hills,  abound.  Of  the  habits  of  this 
species  a  more  complete  account  has  been  given  elsewhere.* 

The  second  species  of  tamandua  —  that  is,  in  size  —  is 
quite  a  different  creature.  It  scarcely  ever  descends  to  the 
earth,  but  passes  from  branch  to  branch  and  tree  to  tree  by 
means  of  its  strong,  curving  claws,  and  more  especially  by 
the  aid  of  a  very  long  and  highly  prehensile  tail.  Its  food 
consists  exclusively  of  ants,  that  construct  huge  earthy  nests 
high  up  among  the  branches  or  against  the  trunks  of  the 
trees,  where  they  present  the  appearance  of  grotesque  excres- 
cences. This  tamandua  often  moves  about  during  the  day, 
in  its  slow  progress  much  resembling  the  sloths,  though  its 
food  is  so  very  different  from  the  animal  of  the  Cecropia-tree 
(bicho  de  embailba).  This  species  dwells  chiefly  in  the  thick 
forests,  and  goes  into  the  Gapo  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and 
it  was  one  of  this  sort  which  the  party  had  seen. 

But  there  are  still  two  other  kinds  that  make  their  home 
upon  the  trees,  — both  exceedingly  curious  little  animals,  and 

*  See  "  The  Forest  Exiles,"  by  the  author  of  this  story. 


THE   CHASE    OF   THE  TAMANDUA.  191 

much  more  rarely  seen  than  the  large  tamanduas.  They 
are  distinguished  by  the  name  of  tamandua-i,  which  in  the 
Indian  language  means  "  little  tamandua."  One  of  them,  the 
rarest  of  the  family,  is  about  the  size  of  a  half-grown  kitten. 
Instead  of  hair,  it  wears  a  fine  wool  of  a  grayish-yellow  color, 
soft  and  silky  to  the  touch.  The  other  is  of  the  same  size, 
but  dingy  brown  in  color,  and  with  hair  of  a  coarser  kind. 
These  little  ant-eaters  both  sleep  through  the  day,  curled  up 
in  the  cavity  of  a  tree,  or  in  some  fork  of  the  branches,  and 
only  display  their  activity  by  night. 

Thus  it  is  that  the  ants  have  no  chance  of  escaping  from 
their  numerous  enemies.  On  the  earth  they  are  attacked 
and  destroyed  by  the  great  ant-eater,  in  the  trees  by  his 
brother  with  the  four  curving  claws.  By  day  one  species 
preys  upon  them,  —  by  night,  another.  Go  where  they  will, 
there  is  a  foe  to  fall  upon  them.  Even  when  they  seek  se- 
curity under  the  earth,  there  too  are  they  pursued  by  ene- 
mies of  their  own  tribe,  the  savage  ecitons,  which  enter  their 
subterranean  dwellings,  and  kill  them  upon  their  own  hearths, 
to  be  dragged  forth  piecemeal  and  devoured  in  the  light  of 
the  sun ! 


CHAPTER   LXV. 

THE    CHASE    OF    THE    TAMANDUA. 

IF  the  tamandua  had  been  surprised  by  the  disappearance 
of  the  tocandeiras,  it  was  not  less  so  to  see  approaching  a 
creature  more  than  ten  times  its  own  size.  This  creature 
was  of  a  dark  bronze  color,  having  a  long,  upright  body,  a 
pair  of  legs  still  longer,  arms  almost  as  long  as  the  legs,  and 
a  roundish  head  with  long  black  hair  growing  out  of  its  crown, 
and  hanging  down  over  its  shoulders.     If  the  ant-eater  had 


192  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

never  before  seen  a  human  being,  —  which  was  probable 
enough,  —  it  saw  one  now ;  for  this  creature  was  no  other 
than  old  Mumlay,  who  had  taken  a  fancy  to  capture  that 
tamandua.  Perhaps  the  little  quadruped  may  have  mistaken 
him  for  an  ape,  but  it  must  have  also  thought  him  the 
grandest  it  had  ever  set  eyes  upon.  Swinging  itself  from 
branch  to  branch,  using  both  claws  and  tail  to  effect  its 
flight,  it  forsook  the  tree  where  it  had  slept,  and  took  to 
another  farther  into  the  forest.  But  Munday  had  antici- 
pated this  movement,  and  passed  among  the  branches  and 
over  the  matted  llianas  with  the  agility  of  an  ape,  —  now 
climbing  up  from  limb  to  limb,  now  letting  himself  down  by 
some  hanging  sipo. 

He  was  soon  joined  in  the  pursuit  by  Richard  Trevannion, 
who  was  an  expert  climber,  and,  if  unable  to  overtake  the 
ant-eater  in  a  direct  chase,  could  be  of  service  in  helping  to 
drive  it  back  to  the  tree  it  had  just  left,  and  which  stood  at 
the  end  of  a  projecting  tongue  of  the  forest.  It  is  possible 
that  Munday  might  have  been  overmatched,  with  all  his 
alertness ;  for  the  tamandua  had  reached  the  narrowest  part 
of  the  peninsula  before  he  could  get  there.  Once  across  the 
isthmus,  which  consisted  of  a  single  tree,  it  would  have  had 
the  wide  forest  before  it,  and  would  soon  have  hidden  itself 
amid  the  matted  tangle  of  leaves  and  twigs.  Richard,  how- 
ever, was  too  cunning  to  let  the  ant-eater  escape  him.  Drop- 
ping into  the  water,  he  swam  towards  the  isthmus  with  all 
his  strength,  and  reached  the  tree  before  the  tamandua. 

By  this  time  Munday  had  arrived  from  the  opposite  quar- 
ter, and  was  already  climbing  into  the  same  tree.  Seeing 
itself  intercepted  on  both  sides,  the  tamandua  began  crawling 
up  towards  the  topmost  branches.  But  Munday  was  too 
quick  for  it,  and  springing  after,  with  the  agility  of  a  cat,  he 
caught  hold  of  it  by  one  of  the  hind  legs.  Being  an  animal 
insignificant  in  size,  and  apparently  in  strength,  the  spectator 
supposed  he  would  speedily  have  dragged  it  down.     In  this 


ROAST  ANT-EATER.  193 

however  they  were  mistaken,  not  taking  account  of  the  power 
in  its  fore-limbs  and  tail. 

Notwithstanding  the  tapuyo  exerted  all  his  strength,  he 
could  not  detach  it  from  the  tree ;  and  even  when  assisted  by 
his  companion,  was  only  able  to  get  the  fore-legs  free.  The 
tail,  lapped  several  times  around  a  limb,  resisted  all  their 
efforts.  But  Munday  cut  the  clinging  tail  with  his  knife, 
leaving  two  or  three  of  its  rings  around  the  branch.  Then, 
twisting  the  stump  around  his  wrist,  he  swung  the  animal 
back  against  the  trunk  with  a  force  that  deprived  it  at  once  of 
strength  and  life. 


CHAPTER    LXVI. 

ROAST    ANT-EATER. 

INSTEAD  of  returning  to  the  tree,  the  Indian  and  Rich- 
ard swam  directly  to  the  dead-wood,  where  they  were 
quickly  joined  by  the  rest  of  the  party.  Although  the  dead- 
wood  was  as  hard  as  any  other  wood,  and  to  sleep  upon  it 
would  be  like  sleeping  on  a  plank,  still  it  would  give  them 
the  feeling  of  security ;  so,  as  if  by  general  consent,  though 
nothing  was  said,  they  stretched  themselves  along  the  trunk, 
and  were  soon  fast  asleep. 

The  old  Indian,  tough  as  the  sipos  of  his  native  forests, 
seemed  as  if  he  could  live  out  the  remainder  of  his  life  with- 
out another  wink  of  sleep  ;  and  when  the  rest  of  his  compan- 
ions were  buried  in  profound  repose,  he  was  engaged  in  an 
operation  that  required  both  energy  and  the  most  stoical  pa- 
tience. In  a  place  where  the  bark  was  dry,  he  had  picked 
out  a  small  circular  cavity,  beside  which  he  had  placed  some 
withered  leaves  and  dead  twigs  collected  from  the  tree  that 
spread  its  branches  above.  Kneeling  over  this  cavity,  he 
9  M 


194  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

thrust  down  into  it  a  straight  stick,  that  had  heen  cut  from 
some  species  of  hard  wood,  and  trimmed  clear  of  knots  or 
other  inequalities,  twirling  it  between  the  palms  of  his  hands 
so  as  to  produce  a  rapid  motion,  now  one  way,  now  the  other. 
In  about  ten  minutes  a  smoke  appeared,  and  soon  after  sparks 
were  seen  among  the  loose  dust  that  had  collected  from  the 
friction.  Presently  the  sparks,  becoming  thicker,  united  into 
a  flame  ;  and  then,  dropping  the  straight  stick,  he  hastily 
covered  the  hole  with  the  dry  leaves  and  chips,  and,  blowing 
gently  under  them,  was  soon  cheered  by  a  blaze,  over  which 
a  cook  with  even  little  skill  might  have  prepared  a  tolerable 
dinner.  This  had  been  Munday's  object ;  and  as  soon  as  ho 
saw  his  fire  fairly  under  way,  without  dressing  or  trussing  the 
game,  —  not  even  taking  the  hide  off,  —  he  laid  the  tamandua 
across  the  fire,  and  left  it  to  cook  in  its  skin. 

It  was  not  the  first  time  by  scores  that  Munday  had  make 
that  repast,  known  among  Spanish  Americans  as  came  con 
cuero.  He  now  proceeded  to  prevent  the  spreading  of  the 
flames.  The  dead-wood  around  was  dry  as  tinder.  Strip- 
ping off  the  cotton  shirt  that,  through  every  vicissitude,  still 
clung  to  his  shoulders,  he  leant  over  the  side  of  the  floating 
log,  and  dipped  it  for  several  minutes  under  the  water. 
"When  well  soaked,  he  drew  it  up  again,  and  taking  it  to 
the  spot  where  the  fire  was  crackling,  he  wrung  the  wa- 
ter out  in  a  circle  around  the  edge  of  his  hearth.  When 
the  tamandua  was  done  brown,  he  then  awakened  his  com- 
panions, who  were  astonished  to  see  the  fire,  with  the 
bronzed  body  of  the  Indian,  nude  to  the  waist,  squatting  in 
front  of  it,  —  to  hear  the  crackling  of  sticks,  the  loud 
sputtering  of  the  roast,  and  the  hissing  of  the  water  cir- 
cle that  surrounded  the  hearth.  But  the  savor  that  filled 
the  air  was  very  agreeable.  They  accepted  his  invitation 
to  partake  of  the  repast,  which  was  found  greatly  to  re- 
semble roast  goose  in  taste ;  and  in  an  inconceivably  short 
time  only  the  bones  of  the  ant-eater,  and  these  clean 
picked,  could  be  seen  upon  the  ceiba. 


THE   JUAROUA.  195 

CHAPTER    LXVII. 

THE    JUAROUA. 

POSTPONING  till  the  next  day  the  task  of  making  a  ca- 
noe out  of  their  log,  the  party  soon  betook  themselves  to 
rest  again ;  but  they  had  been  slumbering  only  about  an  hour 
when  a  low  whimpering  noise  made  by  the  monkey  awoke 
Tipperary  Tom,  close  to  whose  ear  the  animal  had  squatted 
down.  Its  master  raised  himself  up,  and,  leaning  upon  his  el- 
bow, looked  out  over  the  Gapo.  There  was  nothing  but  open 
water,  whose  smooth  surface  was  shining  like  burnished  gold 
under  the  beams  of  the  setting  sun.  He  turned  toward  the 
trees.  He  saw  nothing  there,  —  not  so  much  as  a  bird  mov- 
ing among  the  branches.  Raising  his  head  a  little  higher,  and 
peeping  over  the  edge  of  the  dead-wood,  "  It 's  thare  is  it,  the  ' 
somethin'  that's  scyarin'  ye  ?  "  he  said  to  his  pet.  "  An'  shure 
enough  there  is  a  somethin'  yandther.  There 's  a  'purl '  upon 
the  wather,  as  if  some  crayther  was  below  makin'  a  disturb- 
ance among  the  weeds.     I  wondther  what  it  is !  " 

At  length  the  creature  whose  motion  he  had  observed, 
whatever  it  was,  came  near  enough  for  him  to  obtain  a  full 
view  of  it ;  and  though  it  was  neither  a  snake  nor  a  crocodile, 
still  it  was  of  sufficiently  formidable  and  novel  appearance  to 
cause  him  a  feeling  of  fear.  In  shape  it  resembled  a  seal ; 
but  in  dimensions  it  was  altogether  different,  being  much 
larger  than  seals  usually  are.  It  was  full  ten  feet  from  snout 
to  tail,  and  of  a  proportionate  thickness  of  body.  It  had  the 
head  of  a  bull  or  cow,  with  a  broad  muzzle,  and  thick,  over- 
hanging lip,  but  with  very  small  eyes ;  and  instead  of  ears, 
there  were  two  round  cavities  upon  the  crown  of  its  head.  It 
had  a  large,  flat  tail,  not  standing  up  like  the  tail  of  a  fish, 
but  spread  in  a  horizontal  direction,  like  that  of  a  bird.  Its 
skin  was  smooth,  and  naked  of  hairs,  with  the  exception  of 


196  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

some  straggling  ones  set  thinly  over  it,  and  some  tufts  resem- 
bling bristles  radiating  around  its  mouth  and  nostrils.  The 
skin  itself  was  of  a  dull  leaden  hue,  with  some  cream-colored 
spots  under  the  throat  and  along  the  belly.  It  had  also  a 
pair  of  flippers,  more  than  a  foot  in  length,  standing  out  from 
the  shoulders,  with  a  teat  in  front  of  each,  and  looking  like 
little  paddles,  with  which  the  huge  creature  was  propelling 
itself  through  the  water,  just  as  a  fish  uses  its  fins  or  a  man 
his  arms. 

The  Irishman  did  not  stay  to  note  half  of  these  character- 
istics, but  hastily  woke  Munday,  crying,  "  What  is  it  ?  O  what 
is  it?" 

The  Indian,  rousing  himself,  looked  round  for  a  moment 
dreamily,  and  then,  as  he  caught  sight  of  the  strange  object, 
replied,  "  Good  fortune !  it  is  the  juaroud." 


CHAPTER    LXVIII. 

A    FISH-COW    AT    PASTURE. 

THE  Irishman  was  no  wiser  for  Munday 's  answer,  "  The 
juaroua."  "  But  what  is  it  ?  "  he  again  asked,  curious 
to  learn  something  of  the  creature.  "  Is  it  a  fish  or  a  quad- 
ruped ?  " 

"A  peixe-boi, —  a  peixe-boi!"  hurriedly  answered  the  ta- 
puyo.     "  That  's  how  the  whites  call  it.     Now  you  know." 

"  But  I  don't,  though,  not  a  bit  betther  than  before.  A 
pikes-boy!  Troth,  it  don't  look  much  like  a  pike  at  all,  at 
all.  If  it 's  a  fish  av  any  kind,  I  should  say  it  was  a  sale. 
0,  luk  there,  Munday  !  Arrah,  see  now !  If  it  's  the  owld 
pike's  boy,  yandther  's  the  young  wan  too.  See,  it  has  tuk 
howlt  av  the  tit,  an'  \s  sucking  away  like  a  calf!     An'  luk! 


A  FISH-COW  AT   PASTURE.  197 

the  old  wan  has  got  howlt  av  it  with  her  flipper,  an'  's  kapin' 
it  up  to  the  breast !  Save  us !  did  hever  I  see  such  a 
thing ! " 

The  sight  was  indeed  one  to  astonish  the  Irishman,  since 
it  has  from  all  time  astonished  the  Amazonian  Indians  them- 
selves, in  spite  of  its  frequency.  They  cannot  understand  so 
unusual  a  habit  as  that  of  a  fish  suckling  its  young;  for  they 
naturally  think  that  the  peixe-boi  is  a  fish,  instead  of  a  ceta- 
cean, and  they  therefore  continue  to  regard  it  with  curious 
feelings,  as  a  creature  not  to  be  classified  in  the  ordinary 
way. 

"  Hush ! "  whispered  the  Indian,  with  a  sign  to  Tom  to 
keep  quiet.  "  Sit  still !  make  no  noise.  There  's  a  chance 
of  our  capturing  the  juaroua,  —  a  good  chance,  now  that  I 
see  the  juaroud-i  [little  one]  along  with  it.  Don't  wake  the 
others  yet.  The  juaroua  can  see  like  a  vulture,  and  hear 
like  an  eagle,  though  it  has  such  little  eyes  and  ears. 
Hush ! " 

The  peixe-boi  had  by  this  time  got  abreast  of  the  dead- 
wood,  and  was  swimming  slowly  past  it.  A  little  beyond 
there  was  a  sort  of  bay,  opening  in  among  the  trees,  towards 
which  it  appeared  to  be  directing  its  course,  suckling  the 
calf  as  it  swam. 

"  Good,"  said  Munday,  softly.  "  I  guess  what  it  's  going 
after  up  there.  Don't  you  see  something  lying  along  the 
water  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  but  it  \s  some  sort  av  wather-grass." 

"  That 's  just  it." 

"  An'  what  would  it  want  wid  the  grass  ?  Yez  don't  mane 
to  till  me  it  ates  grass  ?  " 

"  Eats  nothing  else,  and  this  is  just  the  sort  it  feeds  on. 
Very  like  that 's  its  pasturing  place.  So  much  the  better 
if  it  is,  because  it  will  stay  there  till  morning,  and  give  me 
a  chance  to  kill  it." 

"  But  why  can't  yez  kill  it  now  ?  "  said  Tom. 


198  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

"  For  want  of  a  proper  weapon.  My  knife  is  of  no  use. 
The  juaroua  is  too  cunning  to  let  one  come  so  near.  If  it 
come  back  in  the  morning,  I  will  take  care  to  be  ready  for 
it.  From  it  we  can  get  meat  enough  for  a  long  voyage. 
See,  it  has  begun  to  browse  !  " 

Sure  enough  it  had,  just  as  the  Indian  said,  commenced 
pasturing  upon  the  long  blades  of  grass  that  spread  horizon- 
tally over  the  surface ;  and  just  as  a  cow  gathers  the  meadow 
sward  into  her  huge  mouth,  at  intervals  protruding  her 
tongue  to  secure  it,  so  did  the  great  water  cow  of  the  Amazon 
spread  her  broad  lips  and  extend  her  rough  tongue  to  take  in 
the  floating  herbage  of  the  Gapo. 


CHAPTER    LXIX 

THE   PASIIUBA    SPEAR. 

MUNDAY  was  now  prepared  to  set  out  on  a  little  ex- 
ploring excursion,  as  he  said ;  so,  enjoining  upon 
Tom,  who  was  determined  to  awake  the  sleepers  that  they 
might  share  the  sight  of  the  feeding  fish-cow,  to  keep  them 
all  strictly  quiet  until  his  return,  he  slipped  softly  into  the 
water  and  swam  noiselessly  away. 

The  enforced  silence  was  tedious  enough  to  the  party,  who 
were  all  eager  to  talk  about  the  strange  spectacle  they  saw, 
and  it  would  surely  have  been  soon  broken,  had  not  the  Indi- 
an returned  with  a  new  object  for  their  curiosity.  He  had 
stolen  off,  taking  with  him  only  his  knife.  At  his  reappear- 
ance he  had  the  knife  still  with  him,  and  another  weapon  as 
well,  which  the  knife  had  enabled  him  to  procure.  It  was  a 
staff  of  about  twelve  feet  in  length,  straight  as  a  rush,  slightly 
tapering,  and  pointed  at  the  end  like  a  spear.     In  fact,  it  was 


THE   PASHUBA    SPEAR.  199 

a  spear,  which  he  had  been  manufacturing  during  his  hour 
of  absence  out  of  a  split  stem  of  the  pashuba  palm.  Not 
far  off  he  had  found  one  of  these  trees,  a  water-loving  species, 
—  the  Martea  exorhuza,  —  whose  stems  are  supported  upon 
slanting  roots,  that  stand  many  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
soil.  "With  the  skill  known  only  to  an  Amazonian  Indian  in 
the  use  of  a  knife-blade,  he  had  split  the  pashuba,  (hard  as 
iron  on  the  outside,  but  soft  at  the  heart,)  and  out  of  one  of  the 
split  pieces  had  he  hastily  fashioned  his  spear.  Its  point  only 
needed  to  be  submitted  to  fire,  and  then  steel  itself  would  not 
serve  better  for  a  spear-head.  Fortunately  the  hearth  was 
not  yet  cold.  A  few  red  cinders  smouldered  by  the  wet  cir- 
cle, and,  thrusting  his  spear  point  among  them,  the  Indian 
waited  for  it  to  become  hardened.  When  done  to  his  satis- 
faction, he  drew  it  out  of  the  ashes,  scraped  it  to  a  keen  point 
with  the  blade  of  his  knife,  and  then  announced  himself  ready 
to  attack  the  juaroua. 

The  amphibious  animal  was  yet  there,  its  head  visible 
above  the  bed  of  grass  upon  which  it  was  still  grazing. 
Munday,  while  rejoiced  at  the  circumstance,  expressed  him- 
self also  surprised  at  it.  He  had  not  been  sanguine  of  find- 
ing it  on  his  return  with  the  spear,  and,  while  fabricating 
the  weapon,  he  had  only  been  encouraged  by  the  expectation 
that  the  peixe-boi,  if  gone  away  for  the  night,  would  return 
to  its  grazing  ground  in  the  morning.  As  it  was  now,  it 
could  not  have  afforded  him  a  better  opportunity  for  striking  it. 
It  was  reclining  near  the  surface,  its  head  several  inches  above 
it,  and  directly  under  a  large  tree,  whose  lower  limbs,~extend- 
ing  horizontally,  almost  dropped  into  the  water.  If  he  could 
but  get  unperceived  upon  one  of  those  limbs,  it  would  be  an 
easy  matter  to  drive  the  spear  into  its  body  as  far  as  his 
strength  would  enable  him. 

If  any  man  could  swim  noiselessly  through  the  water, 
climb  silently  into  the  tree,  and  steal  without  making  sound 
along  its  limbs,  that  man  was  the  Mundurucu.  .  In  less  time 


200  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

than  you  eouM  count  a  thousand,  he  had  successfully  accom- 
plished this,  and  was  crouching  upon  a  limb  right  over  the 
cow.  In  an  instant  his  spear  was  seen  to  descend,  as  the 
spectators  were  expecting  it  to  do;  but  to  their  astonishment, 
instead  of  striking  the  body  of  the  peixe-boi,  it  pierced  into 
the  water  several  feet  from  the  snout  of  the  animal !  What 
could  it  mean?  Surely  the  skilled  harpooner  of  fish-cattle 
could  not  have  made  such  a  stray  stroke.  Certainly  he  had 
not  touched  the  cow  !     Had  he  speared  anything  ? 

"He's  killed  the  calf!"  cried  Tipperary  Tom.  "Luk 
yanther  !     Don't  yez  see  its  carcass  floatin'  in  the  wather  ?" 

Still  the  spectators  could  not  understand  it.  Why  should 
the  calf  have  been  killed,  which  would  scarce  give  them  a 
supper,  and  the  cow  spared,  that  would' have  provisioned  the 
whole'  crew  for  a  month  ?  Why  had  the  chance  been  thrown 
away  ?  Was  it  thrown  away  ?  They  only  thought  so,  while 
expecting  the  peixe-boi  to  escape.  But  they  were  quickly 
undeceived.  They  had  not  reckoned  upon  the  strong  mater- 
nal instincts  of  that  amphibious  mother, —  instincts  that  anni- 
hilate all  sense  of  danger,  and  prompt  a  reckless  rushing 
upon  death  in  the  companionship  or  for  the  protection  of  the 
beloved  offspring.  It  was  too  late  to  protect  the  tiny  crea- 
ture, but  the  mother  recked  not  of  this.  Danger  deterred 
her  not  from  approaching  it  again  and  again,  each  time  re- 
ceiving a  fresh  stab  from  that  terrible  stick,  until,  with  a 
long-drawn  sigh,  she  expired  among  the  sedge. 

These  animals  are  extremely  tenacious  of  life,  and  a  single, 
thrust  from  such  a  weapon  as  he  wielded  would  only  have 
put  the  peixe-boi  to  flight,  never  to  be  encountered  again. 
The  harpoon  alone,  with  its  barbed  head  and  floats,  can  se- 
cure them  for  a  second  strike  ;  and  not  being  provided  with 
this  weapon,  nor  the  means  of  making  it,  the  old  tapuyo  knew 
that  his  only  chance  was  to  act  as  he  had  done.  Experience 
had  made  him  a  believer  in  the  affection  of  the  animal,  and 
the  result  proved  that  he  had  not  mistaken  its  strength. 


CURING  THE  FISH-COW.  201 

CHAPTER    LXX. 

CURING     THE     FISH-COW. 

NOTHING  was  done  for  that  night.  All  slept  content- 
edly on  the  dead-wood,  which  next  day  became  the 
scene  of  a  series  of  curious  operations.  This  did  not  differ 
very  much  from  the  spectacle  that  might  be  witnessed  in  the 
midst  of  the  wide  ocean,  when  whalemen  have  struck  one  of 
the  great  leviathans  of  the  deep,  and  brought  their-  ship  along- 
side for  the  purpose  of  cutting  it  up. 

In  like  manner  as  the  whale  is  "  flensed,"  so  was  the  fish- 
cow,  Munday  performing  the  operation  with  his  knife,  by  first 
skinning  the  creature,  and  then  separating  the  flesh  into  broad 
strips  or  steaks,  which  were  afterwards  make  into  charqui, 
by  being  hung  up  in  the  sun. 

Previous  to  this,  however,  many  "  griskins "  —  as  Tom 
called  them  —  had  been  cut  from  the  caicass,  and,  broiled 
over  the  fire  kindled  upon  the  log,  had  furnished  both  supper 
and  breakfast  to  the  party.  No  squeamishness  was  shown  by 
any  one.  Hunger  forbade  it ;  and,  .indeed,  whether  with 
sharp  appetites  or  not,  there  was  no  reason  why  they  should 
not  relish  one  of  the  most  coveted  articles  of  animal  food  to 
be  obtained  in  Amazonia.  The  taste  was  that  of  pork ; 
though  there  were  parts  of  the  flesh  of  a  somewhat  coarser 
grain,  and  inferior  in  flavor  to  the  real  dairy-fed  pig. 

The  day  was  occupied  in  making  it  ready  for  curing,  which 
would  take  several  days'  exposure  under  the  hot  sun.  Beforo 
night,  however,  they  had  it  separated  into  thin  slices,  and 
suspended  upon  a  sort  of  clothes-line,  which,  by  means  of 
poles  and  sipos,  Munday  had  rigged  upon  the  log.  The  lean 
parts  alone  were  to  be  preserved,  for  the  fat  which  lies  be- 
tween these,  in  thick  layers  of  a  greenish  color  and  fishy  fla- 
vor, is  considered  rather  strong  for  the  stomach,  —  even  of  an 
9  * 


202  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

Indian  not  over  nice  about  such  matters.  When  a  peixe-boi 
has  been  harpooned  in  the  usual  manner,  this  is  not  thrown 
away,  or  wasted.  Put  into  a  proper  boiling-pot,  it  yields  a 
very  good  kind  of  oil,  —  ten  or  twelve  gallons  being  obtained 
from  an  individual  of  the  largest  and  fattest  kind. 

In  the  present  instance,  the  fat  was  disregarded  and  flung 
back  into  the  flood,  while  the  bones,  as  they  were  laid  bare, 
were  served  in  a  similar  fashion.  The  skin,  however,  vary- 
ing from  an  inch  in  thickness  over  the  back,  to  half  an  inch 
under  the  abdomen,  and  which  Munday  had  removed  with 
considerable  care,  was  stowed  away  in  a  hollow  place  upon 
the  log.  Why  it  was  kept,  none  of  the  others  could  guess. 
Perhaps  the  Indian  meant  it  as  something  to  fall  back  upon 
in  the  event  of  the  charqui  giving  out. 

It  was  again  night  by  the  time  the  cow-skin  was  deposited 
in  its  place,  and  of  course  no  journey  could  be  attempted  for 
that  day.  On  the  morrow  they  intended  to  commence  the 
voyage  which  it  was  hoped  "would  bring  them  to  the  other 
side  of  the  lagoa,  if  not  within  sight  of  land.  As  they  ate 
their  second  supper  of  amphibious  steaks,  they  felt  in  better 
spirits  than  for  many  days.  They  were  not  troubled  with 
hunger  or  thirst;  they  were  not  tortured  by  sitting  astride 
the  branches  of  a  tree ;  and  the  knowledge  that  they  had 
now  a  craft  capable  of  carrying  them  —  however  slovv  might 
be  the  rate  —  inspired  them  with  pleasant  expectations. 
Their  conversation  was  more  cheerful  than  usual,  and  during 
the  after-supper  hour  it  turned  chiefly  on  the  attributes  and 
habits  of  the  strange  animal  which  Munday  had  so  cleverly 
dissected. 

Most  of  the  information  about  its  habits  was  supplied  by 
the  Indian  himself,  who  had  learned  them  by  personal  expe- 
rience ;  though  many  points  in  its  natural  history  were  given 
by  the  patron,  who  drew  his  knowledge  of  it  from  books. 
Trevannion  told  them  that  a  similar  creature  —  though  be- 
lieved to  be  of  a  different  species — was  found  in  the  sea; 


CURING  THE  FISH-COW.  203 

but  general!}7  near  to  some  coast  where  there  was  fresh  water 
flowing  in  by  the  estuary  of  a  river.  One  kind  in  the  Indian 
seas  was  known  by  the  name  of  dngong,  and  another  in 
the  West  Indies  as  the  manati  or  manatee,  —  called  by  the 
French  lamantin.  The  Spaniards  also  know  it  by  the  name 
of  vaca  marina  (sea-cow),  the  identical  name  given  by  the 
Dutch  of  the  Cape  Colony  to  the  hippopotamus, — ■  of  course 
a  very  different  animal. 

,  The  manati  is  supposed  to  have  been  so  named  from  its  fins, 
or  flippers,  bearing  some  resemblance  to  the  hands  of  a  hu- 
man being,  —  in  Spanish,  manos,  —  entitling  it  to  the  appella- 
tion of  the  "  handed  "  animal.  But  the  learned  Humboldt  has 
shown  that  this  derivation  would  be  contrary  to  the  idiom  of 
the  Spanish  language,  which  would  have  made  the  word  ma- 
nudo  or  manon,  and  not  manati.  It  is  therefore  more  likely 
that  this  name  is  the  one  by  which  it  was  known  to  the  abo- 
rigines of  the  southern  coast  of  Cuba,  where  the  creature  was 
first  seen  by  the  discoverers  of  America.  Certain  it  is  that 
the  sea  species  of  the  "West  Indies  and  the  Guianian  coast  is 
much  larger  than  that  found  in  the  Amazon  and  other  South 
American  rivers ;  the  former  being  sometimes  found  full 
twenty  feet  in  length,  while  the  length  of  the  fish-cow  of 
South  America  rarely  reaches  ten. 

Here  Munday  took  up  the  thread  of  the  discourse,  and  in- 
formed the  circle  of  listeners  that  there  were  several  species 
of  juaroua  —  this  was  the  name  he  gave  it  —  in  the  waters 
of  the  Amazon.  He  knew  of  three  kinds,  that  were  distinct, 
not  only  in  size,  but  in  shape,  —  the  difference  being  chiefly 
observable  in  the  fashion  of  the  fins  and  tail.  There  was  also 
some  difference  in  their  color,  —  one  species  being  much 
lighter  in  hue  than  the  others,  with  a  pale  cream-colored 
belly ;  while  the  abrlomen  of  the  common  kind  is  of  a  slaty 
lead,  with  some  pinkish  white  spots  scattered  thinly  over  it. 

A  peculiar  characteristic  of  the  peixe-boi  is  discovered  in 
its  lungs,  —  no  doubt  having  something  to  do  with  its  am- 


204  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

phibious  existence.  These,  when  taken  out  of  the  animal 
and  inflated  by  blowing  into  them,  swell  up  to  the  lightness 
and  dimensions  of  an  India-rubber  swimming-belt ;  so  that, 
as  young  Richard  observed  while  so  inflating  them,  they 
could  spare  at  least  one  set  of  the  sapucaya-shells,  if  once 
more  compelled  to  take  to  the  water. 

Munday  gave  a  very  good  account  of  the  mode  practised 
in  capturing  the  juaroua,  not  only  by  the  Indians  of  his  own 
tribe,  but  by  all  others  in  the  Amazon  valley.  The  hunter 
of  the  peixe-boi  —  or  fisher,  as  we  should  rather  call  him  — 
provides  himself  with  a  montaria  (a  light  canoe)  and  a  har- 
poon. He  rows  to  the  spot  where  the  creature  may  be  ex- 
pected to  appear,  —  usually  some  solitary  lagoon  or  quiet 
spot  out  of  the  current,  where  there  is  a  species  of  grass 
forming  its  favorite  food.  At  certain  hours  the  animal  comes 
thither  to  pasture.  Sometimes  only  a  single  individual  fre- 
quents the  place,  but  oftener  a  pair,  with  their  calves,  —  never 
more  than  two  of  the  latter.  At  times  there  may  be  seen  a 
small  herd  of  old  ones. 

Their  enemy,  seated  in  his  canoe,  awaits  their  appi'oach  in 
silence  ;  and  then,  after  they  have  become  forgetful  of  all 
save  their  enjoyment  of  the  succulent  grass,  he  paddles  up  to 
them.  He  makes  his  advances  with  the  greatest  caution ; 
for  the  fish-cow,  unlike  its  namesake  of  the  farm-yard,  is  a 
shy  and  suspicious  animal.  The  plunge  of  the  paddle,  or  a 
rude  ripple  of  the  water  against  the  sides  of  the  montaria, 
would  frighten  it  from  its  food,  and  send  it  off  into  the  open 
water,  where  it  could  not  be  approached. 

The  occupant  of  the  canoe  is  aware  of  this,  and  takes  care 
not  to  make  the  slightest  disturbance,  till  he  has  got  within 
striking  distance.  He  then  rises  gently  into  a  half-crouch- 
ing attitude,  takes  the  measure  of  the  distance  between  him 
and  his  victim,  and  throws  his  harpoon  with  unerring  aim. 
A  line  attached  to  the  shaft  of  the  weapon  secures  the 
wounded  animal  from  getting  clear  away.     It  may  dive  to 


CURING  THE  FISH-COW.  205 

the  bottom,  or  rush  madly  along  the  surface,  but  can  only  go 
so  far  as  that  terrible  tether  will  allow  it,  to  be  dragged  back 
towards  the  montaria,  where  its  struggles  are  usually  termi- 
nated by  two  or  three  thrusts  of  a  spear. 

The  sport,  or,  more  properly  speaking,  the  trade,  of  har- 
pooning this  river  cetacean,  is  followed  by  most  of  the  Ama- 
zonian Indians.  There  is  not  much  of  it  done  during  the 
season  of  the  floods.  Then  the  animals,  becoming  dispersed 
over  a  large  surface  of  inundated  forest,  are  seen  only  on 
rare  occasions;  and  a  chase  specially  directed  to  discover 
them  would  not  repay  the  trouble  and  loss  of  time.  It  is 
when  the  floods  have  fallen  to  their  lowest,  and  the  lagoas  or 
permanent  ponds  of  water  have  contracted  to  their  ordinary 
limits,  that  the  harpooning  of  the  fish-cow  becomes  profitable. 
Then  it  is  followed  as  a  regular  pursuit,  and  occupies  the 
Indian  for  several  weeks  in  the  year. 

Sometimes  a  lagoon  is  discovered  in  which  many  of  these 
creatures  have  congregated,  —  their  retreat  to  the  main  river 
having  been  cut  off  by  the  falling  of  the  floods.  On  such 
occasions  the  tribe  making  the  discovery  reaps  a  plentiful 
harvest,  and  butchering  becomes  the  order  of  the  day. 

The  malocca,  or  village,  is  for  the  time  deserted  ;  all  hands 
—  men,  women,  children,  and  curs  —  moving  off  to  the  lagoa, 
and  making  their  encampment  upon  its  edge.  They  bring 
with  them  boiling-pots,  for  trying  out  the  oil,  and  jars  to  con- 
tain it,  and  carry  it  to  the  port  of  commerce  ;  for,  being  of  a 
superior,  quality,  it  tempts  the  Portuguese  trader  to  make  long 
voyages  up  many  remote  tributaries  where  it  is  obtained. 

During  these  grand  fisheries  there  is  much  feasting  and 
rejoicing.  The  "jerked"  flesh  of  the  animal,  its  skin,  and, 
above  all,  its  valuahle  oil,  are  exchanged  for  knives,  pigments, 
trinkets,  and,  worse  still,  for  cashaca  (rum).  The  last  is  too 
freely  indulged  in ;  and  the  fishing  rarely  comes  to  a  close 
without  weapons  being  used  in  a  manner  to  bring  wounds, 
and  often  death. 


206  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

As  the  old  Mundurucii  had  been  present  at  many  a. hunt 
of  the  fish-cow,  he  was  able  to  give  a  graphic  account  of  the 
scenes  he  had  witnessed,  to  which  his  companions  on  the  log 
listened  with  the  greatest  attention.  So  interested  were 
they,  that  it  was  not  till  near  midnight  that  they  thought  of 
retiring  to  rest. 


CHAPTER    LXXI. 

A    SAIL    OF    SKIN. 

BY  daybreak  they  were  astir  upon  their  new  craft ;  and 
after  breakfast  they  set  about  moving  it  away  from  its 
moorings.  This  was  not  so  easily  accomplished.  The  log 
was  a  log  in  every  respect ;  and  though  once  a  splendid 
silk-cotton-tree,  covered  with  gossamer  pods,  and  standing 
in  airy  majesty  over  the  surrounding  forest,  it  now  lay  as 
heavy  as  lead  among  the  weeds  and  water-lilies,  as  if  un- 
willing to  be  stirred  from  the  spot  into  which  it  ha"d 
drifted. 

You  may  wonder  how  they  were  able  to  move  it  at  all ; 
supposing,  as  you  must,  that  they  were  unprovided  with  either 
oars  or  sails.  But  they  were  not  so  badly  off  as  that. 
The  whole  of  the  preceding  day  had  not  been  spent  in 
curing  the  fish-cow.  Munday's  knife  had  done  other  ser- 
vice during  the  afternoon  hours,  and  a  pair  of  paddles  had 
been  the  result.  Though  of  a  rude  kind,  they  were  per- 
fect enough  for  the  purpose  required  of  them ;  while  at 
the  same  time  they  gave  evidence  of  great  ingenuity  on 
the  part  of  the  contriver.  They  had  handles  of  wood,  with 
blades  of  bone,  made  from  the  fish-cow's  shoulder-blades, 
which  Munday  had  carefully  retained  with  the  skin,  while 
allowing  the  offal  to  sink.     In  his  own  tribe,  and  elsewhere 


A  SAIL  OF  SKIN.  207 

on  the  Amazon,  he  had  seen  these  bones  employed  —  and 
had  himself  employed  them — as  a  substitute  for  the  spade. 
Many  a  cacao  patch  and  field  of  mandioca  had  Munday 
cleared  with  the  shoulder-blade  of  a  fish-cow ;  and  upon 
odd  occasions  he  had  used  one  for  a  paddle.  It  needed 
only  to  shaft  them ;  and  this  had  been  done  by  splicing  a 
pole  to  each  with  the  tough  sipos. 

Provided  with  these  paddles,  then,  —  one  of  them  wielded 
by  himself,  the  other  by  the  sturdy  Mozambique,  —  the  log 
was  compelled  to  make  way  through  the  water.  The  prog- 
ress was  necessarily  slow,  on  account  of  the  tangle  of  long 
stalks  and  broad  leaves  of  the  lilies.  But  it  promised  to  im- 
prove, when  they  should  get  beyond  these  into  the  open  part 
of  the  lagoon.  Out  there,  moreover,  they  could  see  that 
there  was  a  ripple  upon  the  water ;  which  proved  that  a 
breeze  had  sprung  up,  not  perceptible  inside  the  sheltering 
selvage  of  the  trees,  blowing  in  the  right  direction,  —  that  is, 
from  the  trees,  and  towards  the  lagoa. 

You  may  suppose  that  the  wind  could  not  be  of  much  use 
to  them  with  such  a  craft,  —  not  only  without  a  rudder,  but 
unprovided  with  sails.  So  thought  they  all  except  the  old 
tapuyo.  But  the  Indian  had  not  been  navigating  the  Gapo 
for  more  than  forty  years  of  his  life,  without  learning  how  to 
construct  a  sail ;  and,  if  nothing  else  had  turned  up,  he  could 
have  made  a  tolerable  substitute  for  one  out  of  many  kinds 
of  broad,  tough  leaves,  —  especially  those  of  the  miriti  palm. 

He  had  not  revealed  his  plans  to  any  one  of  the  party. 
Men  of  his  race  rarely  declare  their  intentions  until  the 
moment  of  carrying  them  into  execution.  There  is  a  feel- 
ing of  proud  superiority  that  hinders  such  condescension. 
Besides,  he  had  not  yet  recovered  from  the  sting  of  humilia- 
tion that  succeeded  the  failure  of  his  swimming  enterprise  ; 
and  he  was  determined  not  to  commit  himself  again,  either 
by  too  soon  declaring  his  designs,  or  too  confidently  predict- 
ing their  successful  execution. 


208  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

It  was  not,  therefore,  till  a  stout  pole  had  been  set  up  in  a 
hollow  dug  out  by  his  knife  iu  the;  larger  end  of  the  log,  two 
cross  pieces  firmly  lashed  to  it  by  sipos,  and  the  skin  of  the 
fish-cow  spread  out  against  these  like  a  huge  thick  blanket 
of  caoutchouc,  and  attached  to  them  by  the  same  cordage  of 
creepers,  —  it  was  not  till  then  that  his  companions  became 
fully  acquainted  with  his  object  in  having  cut  poles,  scooped 
the  hollow,  and  retained  the  skin  of  the  cow,  as  he  had  done 
to  their  previous  bewilderment. 

It  was  all  clear  now  ;  and  they  could  not  restrain  them- 
selves from  giving  a  simultaneous  cheer,  as  they  saw  the  dull 
dead-wood,  under  the  impulsion  of  the  skin  sail,  commence  a 
more  rapid  movement,  until  it  seemed  to  "  walk  the  water 
like  a  thing  of  life." 


CHAPTER    LXXII, 

BECALMED. 


ONCE  out  on  the  open  lagoa,  and  fairly  under  sail,  in 
what  direction  should  they  steer  their  new  craft  ? 
They  wanted  to  reach  the  other  side  of  the  lagoa,  which  the 
Indian  believed  to  extend  in  the  right  direction  for  finding 
terra  frma.  They  had  skirted  the  edge  upon  which  they 
were  for  several  miles,  without  finding  either  the  sign  of  land 
or  an  opening  by  which  they  might  penetrate  through  the  for- 
est, and  it  was  but  natural  that  they  should  wish  to  make  trial 
the  other  side,  in  the  hope  of  meeting  with  better  fortune. 

Mozey,  who  prided  himself  on  being  the  best  sailor  aboard, 
was  intrusted  with  the  management  of  the  sail,  while  Tre- 
vannion  himself  acted  as  pilot.  The  Indian  busied  himself  in 
looking  after  the  curing  of  the  charqui,  which,  by  the  help 
of  such  a  hot  sun  as  was  shining  down  upon  them,  would 


I 


BECALMED.  209 

soon  be  safely  beyond  the  chance  of  decay.  The  young 
people,  seated  together  near  the  thick  end  of  the  log  —  which 
Mozey  had  facetiously  christened  the  quarter-deck  of  the 
craft  —  occupied  themselves  as  they  best  might. 

The  cloud  that  had  shadowed  them  for  days  was  quite 
dispelled.  "With  such  a  raft,  there  was  every  expectation 
of  getting  out  of  the  Gapo.  It  might  not  be  in  a  day,  or 
even  in  a  week.  But  time  was  of  little  consequence,  so  long 
as  there  was  a  prospect  of  ultimate  release  from  the  laby- 
rinth of  flooded  forests.  The  charqui,  if  economized,  would 
feed  all  hands  for  a  fortnight,  at  least ;  and  unless  they 
should  again  get  stranded  among  the  tree-tops  they  could 
scarcely  be  all  that  time  before  reaching  dry  land. 

Their  progress  was  sadly  slow.  Their  craft  has  been 
described  as  "  walking  the  water  like  a  thing  of  life."  But 
this  is  rather  a  poetical  exaggeration.  Its  motion  was  that 
of  a  true  dead-wood,  heavily  weighted  with  the  water  that 
for  weeks  had  been  saturating  its  sides.  It  barely  yielded 
to  the  sail ;  and  had  they  been  forced  to  depend  upon  the 
paddles,  it  would  have  been  a  hopeless  affair.  A  mile  an 
hour  was  the  most  they  were  able  to  make ;  and  this  only 
when  the  breeze  was  at  its  freshest.  At  other  times,  when 
it  unfortunately  lulled,  the  log  lay  upon  the  water  with  no 
more  motion  than  they  caused  as  they  stepped  over  it. 

Towards  noon  their  progress  became  slower;  and  when 
at  length  the  meridian  hour  arrived  the  ceiba  stood  still. 
The  sail  had  lost  the  power  of  propelling  it  on.  The  breeze 
had  died  away,  and  there  was  now  a  dead  calm.  The 
shoulder-blades  of  the  peixe-boi  were  now  resorted  to,  but 
neither  these,  nor  the  best  pair  of  oars  that  ever  pulled  a 
man-o'-war's  boat,  could  have  propelled  that  tree-trunk 
through  the  water  faster  than  half  a  knot  to  the  hour,  and 
the  improvised  paddles  were  soon  laid  aside. 

There  was  one  comfort  in  the  delay.  The  hour  of  din- 
ner had  now  arrived,  and  the  crew  were  not  unprepared 

N 


210  AFLOAT  IN  THE   FOREST. 

for  the  midday  meal ;  for  in  their  hurry  at  setting  out,  and 
the  solicitude  arising  from  their  uncertainty  about  their 
craft,  they  had  breakfasted  scantily.  Their  dinner  was  to 
consist  of  but  one  dish,  a  cross  between  fish  and  flesh,  —  a 
cross  between  fresh  and  dried,  —  for  the  peixe-boi  was  still 
but  half  converted  into  charqui. 

The  Indian  had  carefully  guarded  the  fire,  the  kindling  of 
which  had  cost  him  so  much  trouble  and  ingenuity.  A  few 
sparks  still  smouldered  where  they  had  been  nursed  ;  and,  with 
some  decayed  pieces  of  the  ceiba  itself,  a  big  blaze  was  once 
more  established.  Over  this  the  choicest  tit-bits  were  sus- 
pended until  their  browned  surface  proclaimed  them  "  done 
to  a  turn."  Their  keen  appetites  furnished  both  sauce  and 
seasoning ;  and  when  the  meal  was  over,  all  were  ready  to 
declare  that  they  had  never  dined  more  sumptuously  in  their 
lives.     Hunger  is  the  best  appetizer ;  scarcity  comes  next. 

They  sat  after  dinner  conversing  upon  different  themes, 
and  doing  the  best  they  could  to  while  away  the^time,  —  the 
only  thing  that  at  all  discommoded  them  being  the  beams  of 
the  sun,  which  fell  upon  their  crowns  like  sparks  of  fire  show- 
ered from  a  burning  sky.  Tom's  idea  was  that  the  heat  of 
the  sun  could  be  endured  with  greater  ease  in  the  water  than 
upon  the  log ;  and,  to  satisfy  himself,  he  once  more  girdled 
on  the  cincture  of  shells,  and  slipped  over  the  side.  His 
example  was  followed  by  the  patron  himself,  his  son  and 
nephew. 

Little  Rosa  did  not  need  to  retreat  overboard  in  this  ig- 
nominous  manner.  She  was  in  the  shade,  under  a  tiny  toldo 
of  broad  leaves  of  a  Pothos  plant,  which,  growing  parasiti- 
cally  upon  one  of  the  trees,  had  been  plucked  the  day  before, 
and  spread  between  two  buttresses  of  the  dead-wood.  Her 
cousin  had  constructed  this  miniature  arbor,  and  proud  did  he 
appear  to  see  his  little  sylph  reclining  under  its  shade. 

The  tapuyo,  accustomed  to  an  Amazonian  sun,  did  not  re- 
quire to  keep  cool  by  submerging  himself;  and  as  for  the 


BECALMED.  211 

negro,  he  would  scarce  have  been  discommoded  by  an  atmos- 
phere indicated  by  the  highest  figure  on  the  thermometer. 
These  two  men,  though  born  on  opposite  sides  of  the  Atlan- 
tic Ocean,  were  alike  types  of  a  tropical  existence,  and  equal- 
ly disregarded  the  fervor  of  a  tropic  sun. 

Suddenly  the  four,  who  had  fallen  a  little  astern,  were  seen 
making  towards  the  log  ;  and  by  the  terror  dejjicted  on  their 
countenances,  as  well  as  their  quick,  irregular  strokes,  it  was 
evident  something  in  the  water  had  caused  them  serious 
alarm.  What  could  it  all  mean  ?  It  was  of  no  use  to  ask 
the  swimmers  themselves.  They  were  as  ignorant  of  what 
was  alarming  them  as  their  companions  upon  the  log ;  they 
only  knew  that  something  was  biting  them  about  the  legs  and 
feet ;  but  what  it  was  they  had  not  the  slightest  idea.  It 
might  be  an  insect,  —  it  might  be  a  water-snake,  or  other 
amphibious  reptile ;  but  whatever  it  was,  they  could  tell  that 
its  teeth  were  sharp  as  needles,  and  scored  their  flesh  like 
fish-hooks. 

It  was  not  till  they  had  gained  footing  upon  the  log,  and 
their  legs  were  seen  covered  with  lacerations,  and  streaming 
with  fresh  blood,  that  they  ascertained  the  sort  of  enemy  that 
had  been  attacking  them.  Had  the  water  been  clear,  they 
might  have  discovered  it  long  before ;  but  discolored  as  it  was, 
they  could  not  see  beneath  the  surface  far  enough  to  make 
out  the  character  of  their  secret  assailants.  But  the  tapuyo 
well  understood  the  signs,  and,  as  soon  as  his  eye  rested  upon 
them,  his  perplexity  disappeared  ;  and,  with  an  exclamation 
that  rather  betokened  relief,  he  pronounced  the  simple  phrase, 
"  Only  piranhas  I  " 


212  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOKEST. 

.    CHAPTER   LXXII I. 

THE     PIRANHAS. 

ri^HE  companions  of  the  tapuyo  were  no  wiser  for  his 
_f_  words,  until  piranhas  was  explained  to  them  to  mean 
"  biting  fish,"  for  such  were  the  unseen  enemies  that  assailed 
them. 

They  belong  to  the  great  tribe  of  the  Salmonidce,  of  which 
there  are  many  varieties  in  the  different  Amazonian  rivers, 
all  very  voracious,  and  ready  to  bite  at  anything  that  may  be 
thrown  into  the  water.  They  often  attack  bathers,  putting 
them  to  flight ;  and  a  swimmer  who  should  unfortunately  be 
surrounded  by  them,  when  far  from  the  shore  or  a  boat,  would 
have  the  greatest  difficulty  to  escape  the  fearful  fate  of  being 
eaten  up  alive.  Most  of  the  species  are  fish  of  small  size, 
and  it  is  their  numbers  that  the  swimmer  has  chiefly  to 
dread. 

As  it  was,  our  adventurers  were  more  scared  than  hurt. 
The  commotion  which  they  had  made  in  the  water,  by  their 
plunging  and  kicking,  had  kept  the  piranhas  at  a  distance, 
and  it  was  only  an  odd  one  that  had  been  able  to  get  a  tooth 
into  them. 

For  any  injury  they  had  sustained,  the  Mundurucii  prom- 
ised them  not  only  a  speedy  revenge,  but  indemnification  of  a 
more  consolatory  kind.  He  knew  that  the  piranhas,  having 
tasted  blood,  would  not  willingly  wander  away,  at  least  for  a 
length  of  time.  Although  he  could  not  see  the  little  fish 
through  the  turbid  water,  he  was  sure  they  were  still  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  log,  no  doubt  in  search  of  the  prey  that 
had  so  mysteriously  escaped  them.  As  the  dead-wood  scarce- 
ly stirred,  or  drifted  only  slightly,  the  piranhas  could  keep 
alongside,  and  see  everything  that  occurred  without  being 
seen  themselves.     This  the  tapuyo  concluded  they  were  do- 


THE  PIRANHAS.  213 

ing.  He  knew  their  reckless  voracity,  —  how  they  will  sud- 
denly spring  at  anything  thrown  into  the  water,  and  swallow 
without  staying  to  examine  it. 

Aware  of  this  habit,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  determining 
what  to  do.  There  was  plenty  of  bait  in  the  shape  of  half- 
dried  charqui,  but  not  a  fish-hook  to  be  found.  A  pair  of 
pins,  however,  supplied  the  deficiency,  and  a  piece  of  string 
was  just  right  for  a  line.  This  was  fastened  at  one  end  to  the 
pashuba  spear,  to  the  pin-hook  at  the  other ;  and  then,  the 
latter  being  baited  with  a  piece  of  peixe-boi,  the  fishing 
_  commenced. 

Perhaps  never  with  such  rude  tackle  was  there  more  suc- 
cessful angling.  Almost  as  soon  as  the  bait  sank  under  the 
water,  it  was  seized  by  a  piranha,  which  was  instantly  jerked 
out  of  its  native  element,  and  landed  on  the  log.  Another 
and  another  and  another,  till  a  score  of  the  creatures  lay 
upon  the  top  of  the  dead-wood,  and  Tipperary  Tom  gave 
them  the  finishing  touch,  as  they  were  caught,  with  a  cru- 
el eagerness  that  might  to  some  extent  have  been  due  to 
the  smarting  of  his  shins. 

How  long  the  "  catch  "  might  have  continued  it  is  difficult  to 
say.  The  little  fish  were  hooked  as  fast  as  fresh  bait  could  be 
adjusted,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  line  of  succession  was  never 
to  end.  It  did  end,  however,  in  an  altogether  unexpected  way, 
by  one  of  the  piranhas  dropping  back  again  into  the  water,  and 
taking,  not  only  the  bait,  but  the  hook  and  a  portion  of  the  line 
along  with  it,  the  string  having  given  away  at  a  weak  part 
near  the  end  of  the  rod. 

Munday,  who  knew  that  the  little  fish  were  excellent  to  eat, 
would  have  continued  to  take  them  so  long  as  they  were  will- 
ing to  be  taken,  and  for  this  purpose  the  dress  of  Rosita  was 
despoiled  of  two  more  pins,  and  a  fresh  piece  of  string  made 
out  of  the  skin  of  the  cow-fish. 

When  the  new  tackle  was  tried,  however,  he  discovered  to 
his  disappointmcut  that  the  piranhas  would  no  longer  bite ; 


214  AFLOAT  IN  THE   FOREST. 

not  so  much  as  a  nibble  could  be  felt  at  the  end  of  the 
string.  They  had  had  time  for  reflection,  perhaps  had  held 
counsel  among  themselves,  and  come  to  the  conclusion  that 
the  game  they  had  been  hitherto  playing  was  "  snapdrag- 
on "  of  a  dangerous  kind,  and  that  it  was  high  time  to  desist 
from  it. 

The  little  incident,  at  first  producing  chagrin,  was  soon 
viewed  rather  with  satisfaction.  The  wounds  received  were  so 
slight  as  scarce  to  be  regarded,  and  the  terror  of  the  thing  was 
over  as  soon  as  it  became  known  what  tiny  creatures  had 
inflicted  them.  Had  it  been  snakes,  alligators,  or  any  ani- 
mals of  the  reptile  order,  it  might  have  been  otherwise. 
But  a  school  of  handsome  little  fishes,  —  who  could  sup- 
pose that  there  had  been  any  danger  in  their  attack  ? 

There  had  been,  nevertheless,  as  the  tapuyo  assured  them,  — 
backing  up  his  assurance  by  the  narrative  of  several  narrow 
escapes  he  had  himself  had  from  being  torn  to  pieces  by  their 
sharp  triangular*  teeth,  further  confirming  his  statements  by 
the  account  of  an  Indian,  one  of  his  own  tribe,  who  had 
been  eaten  piecemeal  by  piranhas. 

It  was  in  the  river  Tapajos,  where  this  species  of  fish  is 
found  in  great  plenty.  The  man  had  been  in  pursuit  of  a 
peixe-boi,  which  he  had  harpooned  near  the  middle  of  the 
river,  after  attaching  his  weapon  by.  its  cord  to  the  bow 
of  his  montaria.  The  fish  being  a  strong  one,  and  not 
wounded  in  a  vital  part,  had  made  a  rush  to  get  off",  car- 
rying the  canoe  along  with  it.  The  harpooner,  standing 
badly  balanced  in  his  craft,  lost  his  balance  and  fell  over- 
board. While  swimming  to  overtake  the  canoe,  he  was  at- 
tacked by  a  swarm  of  piranhas  ravenous  for  prey,  made 
so  perhaps  by  the  blood  of  the  peixe-boi  left  along  the 
water.  The  Indian  was  unable  to  reach  the  canoe;  and 
notwithstanding  the  most  desperate  efforts  to  escape,  he 
was  ultimately    compelled  to  yield  to  his  myriad  assailants. 

His  friends  on  shore  saw  all,  without  being  able  to  render 


A  STOWAWAY.  215 

the  slightest  assistance.  They  saw  his  helpless  struggles, 
and  heard  his  last  despairing  shriek,  as  he  sank  below  the 
surface  of  the  water.  Hastening  to  their  canoes,  they  pad- 
dled, rapidly  out  to  the  spot  where  their  comrade  had  disap- 
peared. All  they  could  discern  was  a  skeleton  lying  along 
the  sand  at  the  bottom  of  the  river,  clean  picked  as  if  it  had 
been  prepared  for  an  anatomical  museum,  while  the  school 
of  piranhas  was  disporting  itself  alone,  as  if  engaged  in  dan- 
cing some  mazy  minuet  in  honor  of  the  catastrophe  they  had 
occasioned. 


CHAPTER   LXXIV. 

A    STOWAWAY. 

THE  new-caught  fishes  looked  too  temptingly  fresh  to  be 
long  untasted ;  and  although  it  was  but  an  hour  since 
our  adventurers  had  eaten  their  dinner,  one  and  all  were  in- 
clined for  an  afternoon  meal  upon  piranha.  The  Mundurucii 
set  the  fire  freshly  astir,  and  half  a  dozen  piranhas  were  soon 
browned  in  the  blaze  and  distributed  among  the  party,  who 
one  and  all  indorsed  the  tapuyo,  by  pronouncing  them  a 
delicacy. 

After  the  second  dinner  they  were  more  gay  than  ever. 
The  sun  sinking  westward  indicated  the  quarters  of  the  com- 
pass ;  and  already  a  few  puffs  of  wind  promised  them  an 
evening  breeze.  They  saw  that  it  was  still  blowing  in  the 
same  direction,  and  therefore  favorable  to  the  navigation  of 
their  craft,  whose  thick  sail,  spread  broadly  athwart  ships, 
seemed  eager  to  catch  it. 

Little  dreamt  they  at  that  moment  that,  as  it  were,  a  vol- 
cano was  slumbering  under  their  feet ;  that  separated  from 
them  by  only  a  few  inches  of  half-decayed  wood  was  a  crea- 


21 G  "AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

tare  of  such  monstrous  size  and  hideous  shape  as  to  have  im- 
pressed with  a  perpetual  fear  every  Indian  upon  the  Amazon, 
from  Para  to  Peru,  from  the  head  waters  of  the  Purus  to  the 
sources  of  the  Japura !  At  that  moment,  when  they  .were 
chatting  gayly,  even  laughingly,  in  confidence  of  a  speedy 
deliverance  from  the  gloomy  Gapo, —  at  that  very  moment 
the  great  Mai  d'Agoa,  the  "Mother  of  the  Waters,"  was 
writhing  restlessly  beneath  them,  preparing  to  issue  forth 
from  the  cavern  that  concealed  her. 

The  tapuyo  was  sitting  near  the  fire,  picking  the  bones  of 
a  piranha,  which  he  had  just  taken  from  the  spit,  when  all  at 
once  the  half-burned  embers  were  seen  to  sink  out  of  sight, 
dropping  down  into  the  log,  as  cinders  into  the  ash-pit  of  a 
dilapidated  grate.  "  Ugh  ! "  exclaimed  the  Indian,  giving  a 
slight  start,  but  soon  composing  himself;  "the  dead-wood 
hollow  at  the  heart !  Only  .a  thin  shell  outside,  which  the 
lire  has  burnt  through.  I  wondered  why  it  floated  so  lightly, 
■ —  wet  as  it  was  !  " 

"  Was  n't  it  there  the  tocandeiras  had  their  nest  ?  "  inquired 
Trevannion. 

"  No,  patron.  The  hole  they  had  chosen  for  their  hive  is 
different.  It  was  a  cavity  in  one  of  the  branches.  This  is  a 
hollow  along  the  main  trunk.  Its  entrance  will  be  found 
somewhere  in  the  but,  —  under  the  water,  I  should  think,  as 
the  log  lies  now." 

Just  then  no  one  was  curious  enough  to  crawl  up  to  the 
thick  end  and  see.  What  signified  it  whether  the  entrance 
to  the  hollow,  which  had  been  laid  open  by  the  falling  in  of 
the  fire,  was  under  water  or  above  it,  so  long  as  the  log  itself 
kept  afloat  ?  There  was  no  danger  to  be  apprehended,  and 
the  circumstance  would  have  been  speedily  dismissed  from 
their  minds,  but  for  the  behavior  of  the  coaita,  which  now  at- 
tracted their  attention. 

It  had  been  all  the  time  sitting  upon  the  highest  point 
which  the  dead-wood  offered  for  a  perch.     Not  upon  the 


A   STOWAWAY.  217 

rudely  rigged  mast,  nor  yet  the  yard  that  carried  the  sail ; 
but  on  a  spar  that  projected  several  feet  beyond  the  thick 
end,  still  recognizable  as  the  remains  of  a  root.  Its  air  and 
attitude  had  undergone  a  sudden  change.  It  stood  at  full 
length  upon  all  fours,  uttering  a  series  of  screams,  with  chat- 
terings  between,  and  shivering  throughout  its  whole  frame, 
as  if  some  dread  danger  was  in  sight,  and  threatening  it  with 
instant  destruction. 

It  was  immediately  after  the  falling  in  of  the  fagots  that 
this  began ;  bflt  there  was  nothing  to  show  that  it  was  con- 
nected with  that.  The  place  where  the  fire  had  been  burning 
was  far  away  from  its  perch ;  and  it  had  not  even  turned  its 
eyes  in  that  direction.  On  the  contrary,  it  was  looking  be- 
low ;  not  directly  below  where  it  stood,  but  towards  the  but- 
end  of  the  ceiba,  which  could  not  be  seen  by  those  upon  the 
log.  Whatever  was  frightening  it  should  be  there.  There 
was  something  about  the  excited  actions  of  the  animal, — 
something  so  heart-rending  in  its  cries,  —  that  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  believe  them  inspired  by  any  ordinary  object  of  dread  ; 
and  the  spectators  were  convinced  that  some  startling  terror 
was  under  its  eyes. 

Tipperary  Tom  was  the  first  to  attempt  a  solution  of  the 
mystery.  The  piteous  appeals  of  his  pet  could  not  be  resist- 
ed. Scrambling  along  the  log  he  reached  the  projecting 
point,  and  peeped  over.  Almost  in  the  same  instant  he  re- 
coiled with  a  shriek  ;  and,  calling  on  his  patron  saint,  retreat- 
ed to  the  place  where  he  had  left  his  companions.  On  his 
retreat  Munday  set  out  to  explore  the  place  whence  he  had 
fled,  and,  on  reaching  it,  craned  his  neck  over  the  end  of  the 
dead-wood,  and  looked  below.  A  single  glance  seemed  to 
satisfy  him;  and,  drawing  back  with  as  much  fear  as  the  man 
who  had  preceded  him,  he  exclaimed  in  a  terrified  shriek, 
"  Santos  Dios  !  't  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Waters  ! " 


10 


218  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

CHAPTER  LXXV. 

THE     SPIRIT     OF     THE     "WATERS. 

"  rilHE  Mai  d'Agoa!  the  Spirit  of  the  Waters!"  ex- 
I  claimed  Trevannion,  while  the  rest  stood  speechless 
with  astonishment,  gazing  alternately  upon  the  Indian  and 
the  Irishman,  who  trembled  with  affright.  "  What  do  you 
mean  ?     Is  it  something  to  he  feared  ?  " 

Munday  gave  an  emphatic  nod,  hut  said  no  word,  heing 
partly  awed  into  silence  and  partly  lost  in  meditating  some 
plan  of  escape  from  this  new  peril. 

"  What  did  you  see,  Tom  ?  "  continued  Trevannion,  ad- 
dressing himself  to  the  Irishman,  in  hopes  of  receiving  some 
explanation  from  that  quarter. 

"  Be  Sant  Pathrick  !  yer  honor,  I  can't  tell  yez  what  it 
was.  It  was  something  like  a  head  with  a  round  shinin' 
neck  to  it,  just  peepin'  up  out  av  the  wather.  I  saw  a  pair 
av  eyes,  —  I  did  n't  stay  for  any  more,  for  them  eyes  was 
enough  to  scare  the  sowl  out  av  me.  They  were  glittherin' 
like  two  burnin'  coals !  Munday  calls  it  the  spirit  av  the 
wathers.     It  looks  more  like  the  spirit  av  darkness  ! " 

"  The  Mai  d'Agoa,  uncle,"  interposed  the  young  Paraense, 
speaking  in  a  suppressed  voice.  "  The  Mother  of  the  Waters  I 
It's  only  an  Indian  superstition,  founded  on  the  great  water 
serpent,  —  the  anaconda.  No  doubt  it 's  one  of  these  he  and 
Tom  have  seen  swimming  about  under  the  but-end  of  the 
log.     If  it  be  still  there  I  shall  have  a  look  at  it  myself." 

The  youth  was  proceeding  towards  the  spot  so  hastily 
vacated  by  Munday  and  Tom,  when  the  former,  seizing  him 
by  the  arm,  arrested  his  progress.  "  For  your  life,  young 
master,  don't  go  there !  Stay  where  you  are.-  It  may  not 
come  forth,  or  may  not  crawl  up  to  this  place.  I  tell  you 
it  is  the  Spirit  of  the  Waters !  "  * 


THE   SPIRIT   OF   THE  WATERS.  219 

"  Nonsense,  Munday ;  there  'a  no  such  thing  as  a  spirit 
of  the  waters.  If  there  were,  it  would  be  of  no  use  our 
trying  to  hide  from  it.  What  you  've  seen  is  an  anaconda. 
I  know  these  water-boas  well  enough,  —  have  seen  them 
scores  of  times  among  the  islands  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ama- 
zon. I  have  no  fear  of  them.  Their  bite  is  not  poisonous, 
and,  unless  this  is  a  very  large  one,  there 's  not  much  dan- 
ger.    Let  me  have  a  look ! " 

The  Indian,  by  this  time  half  persuaded  that  he  had 
made  a  mistake,  —  his  confidence  also  restored  by  this  cour- 
ageous behavior,  —  permitted  Richard  to  pass  on  to  the 
end  of  the  log.  On  reaching  it  he  looked  over;  but  re- 
coiled with  a  cry,  as  did  the  others,  while  the  ape  uttered  a 
shrill  scream,  sprang  down  from  its  perch,  and  scampered 
off  to  the  opposite  extremity  of  the  dead-wood. 

"It  is  an  anaconda  !  "  muttered  the  Paraense,  as  he  made 
his  way  "  amidships,"  where  the  rest  were  awaiting  him ; 
"  the  largest  I  have  ever  seen.  No  wonder,  Munday,  you 
should  mistake  it  for  the  Mai  d'Agoa.  'T  is  a  fearful- 
looking  creature,  but  I  hope  we  shall  be  able  to  destroy  it 
before  it  can  do  any  of  us  an  injury.  But  it  is  very  large, 
and  we  have  no  arms  !     "What 's  to  be  done,  Munday  ?  " 

"  Be  quiet,  —  make  no  noise  !  "  entreated  the  Indian,  who 
was  now  himself  again.  "  May  be  it  will  keep  its  place  till 
I  can  get  the  spear  through  its  neck,  and  then  —  Too  late ! 
The  suciiruju  is  coining  upon  the  log !  " 

And  now,  just  rising  through  a  forked  projection  of  the 
roots,  was  seen  the  horrid  creature,  causing  the  most  cour- 
ageous to  tremble  as  they  beheld  it.  There  was  no  mistak- 
ing it  for  anything  else  than  the  head  of  a  serpent ;  but  such 
a  head  as  not  even  the  far-travelled  tapuyo  had  ever  seen 
before.  In  size  it  equalled  that  of  an  otter,  while  the  lurid 
light  that  gleamed  from  a  pair  of  scintillating  orbs,  and  still 
more  the  long,  forked  tongue,  at  intervals  projected  like  a 
double  jet  of  flame,  gave  it  an  altogether  demoniac  appear- 
ance. 


220  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

The  water  out  of  which  it  had  just  risen,  still  adhering  to 
its  scaly  crown,  caused  it  to  shine  with  the  brightness  of 
burnished  steed;  and,  as  it  loomed  up  between  their  eyes  and 
the  sun,  it  exhibited  the  coruscation  of  fire.  Under  any  cir- 
cumstances it  would  have  been  fearful  to  look  at ;  but  as  it 
slowly  and  silently  glided  forth,  hanging  out  its  forked  red 
tongue,  it  was  a  sight  to  freeze  the  blood  of  the  bravest. 

When  it  had  raised  its  eyes  fairly  above  the  log,  so  that  it 
could  see  what  was  upon  it,  it  paused  as  if  to  reconnoitre. 
The  frightened  men,  having  retreated  towards  the  opposite 
end  of  the  dead-wood,  stood  as  still  as  death,  all  fearing  to 
make  the  slightest  motion,  lest  they  should  tempt  the  mon- 
ster on. 

They  stood  about  twenty  paces  from  the  serpent,  Munday 
nearest,  with  the  pashuba  spear  in  hand  ready  raised,  and 
standing  as  guard  over  the  others.  Richard,  armed  with 
Munday's  knife,  was  immediately  behind  him.  For  more 
than  a  minute  the  hideous  head  remained  motionless.  There 
was  no  speech  nor  sound  of  any  kind.  Even  the  coaita, 
screened  by  its  friends,  had  for  the  time  ceased  to  utter  its 
alarm.  Only  the  slightest  ripple  on  the  water,  as  it  struck 
against  the  sides  of  the  ceiba,  disturbed  the  tranquillity  of  the 
scene,  and  any  one  viewing  the  tableau  might  have  supposed 
it  set  as  for  the  taking  of  a  photograph. 

But  it  was  only  the  momentary  calm  that  precedes  the 
tempest.  In  an  instant  a  commotion  took  place  among  the 
statuedike  figures,  —  all  retreating  as  they  saw  the  serpent 
rise  higher,  and,  after  vibrating  its  head  several  times,  lie  flat 
along,  evidently  with  the  design  of  advancing  towards  them. 
In  another  instant  the  monster  was  advancing,  —  not  rapidly, 
but  with  a  slow,  regular  motion,  as  if  it  felt  sure  of  its  victims, 
and  did  not  see  the  necessity  for  haste  in  securing  them. 


AN  UNEXPECTED  ESCAPE.  221 

CHAPTER     LXXVI. 

AN    UNEXPECTED     ESCAPE. 

THE  great  reptile  had  already  displayed  more  than  a 
third  of  its  hideous  hody,  that  kept  constantly  thicken- 
ing as  it  rose  over  the  but-end  of  the  log  ;  and  still  the  tapuyo 
appeared  irresolute.  In  a  whisper,  Trevannion  suggested 
their  taking  to  the  water. 

"No,  patron;  anything  but  that.  It  would  just  be  what 
the  sucuruju  would  like.  In  the  water  it  would  be  at  home, 
and  we  should  not.  We  should  there  be  entirely  at  his 
mercy." 

"  But  are  we  not  now  ?  " 

"  Not  yet,  —  not  yet,  —  stay  ! "  From  the  fresh  confidence 
with  which  he  spoke,  it  was  evident  some  plan  had  suggested 
itself.  "  Hand  me  over  that  monkey  !  "  he  said  ;  and  when 
he  took  the  ape  in  his  arms,  and  advanced  some  paces  along 
the  log,  they  guessed  for  what  the  pet  was  destined,  —  to 
distract  the  attention  of  the  anaconda,  by  securing  for  it  a 
meal! 

Under  other  circumstances,  Tom  might  have  interfered  to 
prevent  the  sacrifice.  As  it  was,  he  could  only  regard  it 
with  a  sigh,  knowing  it  was  necessary  to  his  own  salvation. 

As  Munday,  acting  in  the  capacity  of  a  sort  of  high-priest, 
advanced  along  the  log,  the  demon  to  whom  the  oblation  was 
to  be  made,  and  which  he  still  fancied  might  be  the  Spirit  of 
the  Waters,  paused  in  its  approach,  and,  raising  its  head,  gave 
out  a  horrible  hiss. 

In  another  instant  the  coaita  was  hurled  through  the  air, 
and  fell  right  before  it.  Rapidly  drawing  back  its  head,  and 
opening  wide  its  serrated  jaws,  the  serpent  struck  out  with 
the  design  of  seizing  the  offering.  But  the  ape,  with  charac- 
teristic quickness,  perceived  the  danger ;  and,  before  a  tooth 


222  AFLOAT   IN  THE  .FOREST. 

could  be  inserted  into  its  skin,  it  sprang  away,  and,  scamper- 
ing up  the  mast,  left  Munday  face  to  face  with  the  anaconda, 
that  now  advanced  rapidly  upon  him  who  had  endeavored 
to  make  use  of  such  a  substitute. 

Chagrined  at  the  failure  of  his  stratagem,  and  dismayed  by 
the  threatening  danger,  the  t^puyo  retreated  backwards.  In 
his  confusion  he  trod  upon  the  still  smouldering  fire,  his 
scorched  feet  scattering  the  fagots  as  he  danced  through 
them,  while  the  serpent,  once  more  in  motion,  came  resolutely 
on. 

His  companions  were  now  more  frightened  than  ever,  for 
they  now  saw  that  he  was,  like  themselves,  a  prey  to  fear. 
For  again  had  he  become  a  believer  in  the  Spirit  of  the  Wa- 
ters. As  he  stood  poising  his  spear,  it  was  with  the  air  of  a 
man  not  likely  to  use  it  with  effect.  The  young  -Paradise, 
with  his  knife,  was  more  likely  to  prove  a  protector.  But 
what  could  either  do  to  arrest  the  progress  of  such  a  power- 
ful monster  as  that,  which,  with  only  two  thirds  of  its  length 
displayed,  extended  full  twenty  feet  along  the  log?'  Some 
one  of  the  party  must  become  a  victim,  and  who  was  to  be 
the  first? 

The  young  Paraense  seemed  determined  to  take  prece- 
dence, and,  with  the  generous  design  of  protecting  his  friends, 
—  perhaps  only  little  Rosa  was  in  his  thoughts,  —  he  had 
thrown  himself  in  front  of  the  others,  even  the  spearman 
standing  behind  him.  It  appeared  that  his  time  was  come. 
He  had  not  confidence  that  it  was  not.  What  could  he  do 
with  a  knife-blade  against  such  an  enemy  ?  He  stood  there 
but  to  do  his  duty,  and  die. 

And  both  would  quickly  have  been  accomplished,  —  the 
duty  and  the  death,  —  but  that  the  Omnipotent  Hand  that 
had  preserved  them  through  so  many  perils  was  still  stretched 
over  them,  and  in  its  own  way  extricated  them  from  this  new 
danger.  To  one  unacquainted  with  the  cause,  it  might  have 
been  a  matter  of  surprise  to  see  the  reptile,  hitherto  deter- 


HISTORY   OF   THE  ANACONDA.  223 

mined  upon  making  an  attack,  all  at  once  turn  away  from  its 
intended  victims;  and,  without  even  showing  its  tail  upon  the 
log,  retreat  precipitately  into  the  water,  and  swim  off  over  the 
lagoa,  as  if  the  ceiba  was  something  to  be  shunned  beyond 
everything  else  that  might  be  encountered  in  the  Gapo  ! 


CHAPTER   LXXVII. 

HISTORY     OF    THE     ANACONDA. 

THOUGH  it  may  be  a  mystery  to  the  reader  why  it  had 
retreated,  it  was  none  to  our  adventurers,  who  had  seen 
it  crawl  over  the  scattered  fagots  ;  they  had  heard  the  hiss- 
ing, sputtering  sound,  as  the  live  coals  came  in  contact  with 
its  wet  skin  ;  they  had  witnessed  its  dismay  and  flight  at  a 
phenomenon  so  unexpected.  They  were  therefore  well  aware 
that  it  was  the  scorching  hot  cinders  that  had  caused  the  su- 
curuju  to  forsake  the  dead-wood  in  such  a  sudden  and  appar- 
ently mysterious  manner. 

It  was  some  time  before  they  were  entirely  relieved  ot 
their  fears.  Notwithstanding  its  precipitate  retreat,  they 
could  not  tell  but  that  the  anaconda  might  change  its  mind 
and  come  back  again.  They  could  see  it  swimming  for  some 
time  in  a  tortuous  track,  its  head  and  part  of  its  neck  erect 
above  the  water ;  then  it  took  a  direct  course,  as  if  deter- 
mined upon  leaving  the  lagoa.  It  was,  therefore,  with  no 
ordinary  feeling  of  relief  that  they  saw  it  finally  disappearing 
from  view  in  the  far  distance. 

The  mystery  of  its  presence  upon  the  dead  monguba  was 
soon  cleared  up.  The  log  was  hollow  inside,  the  heart-wood 
being  entirely  decayed  and  gone.  In  the  cavity  the  serpent 
had  perhaps    sought  a  sleeping-place  secure  from  intrusion 


224  AFLOAT   IN   THE  FOREST. 

during  some  protracted  slumber  that  had  succeeded  the  swal- 
lowing of  a  gigantic  prey,  —  deer,  paca,  or  capivaia.  Here 
it  had  lain  for  days,  —  perhaps  weeks;  and  the  log,  carried 
away  by  the  rising  of  the  floods,  had  done  nothing  to  disturb 
its  repose.  Its  first  intimation  that  there  was  any  change  in 
the  situation  of  its  sleeping-place  was  when  the  fire  fell  in 
through  the  burnt  shell,  and  the  hot  cinders  came  in  contact 
with  its  tail,  causing  it  to  come  forth  from  its  concealment, 
and  make  the  observation  that  resulted  in  its  attacking  the 
intruders.  The  hollow  that  had  contained  the  colony  of 
tocandeiras  was  altogether  a  different  affair.  It  was  a  cavity 
of  a  similar  kind,  but  unconnected  with  that  in  the  heart  of 
the  tree ;  and  it  was  evident  that  the  little  insects  and  the 
great  reptile,  although  dwelling  in  such  close  proximity,  — 
under  the  same  roof,  it  may  be  said,  —  were  entirely  unac- 
quainted with  each  other. 

When  the  serpent  was  quite  out  of  sight,  our  adventurers 
once  more  recovered  their  spirits,  and  conversed  gayly  about 
the  strange  incident.  The  breeze,  having  freshened,  carried 
their  raft  with  considerable  rapidity  through  the  water,  in 
the  right  direction,  and  they  began  to  scan  the  horizon  before 
them  in  the  hope  of  seeing,  if  not  land,  at  least  the  tree-tops 
ahead.  These,  however,  did  not  show  themselves  on  that 
day,  and  ^before  the  sun  went  down  the  forest  behind  them 
sank  out  of  sight.  The  night  overtook  them,  surrounded  by 
a  smooth  surface  of  open  water,  spotless  and  apparently  as 
limitless  as  the  great  ocean  itself. 

They  did  not  "  lay  to,"  as  on  the  night  before.  The 
breeze  continued  favorable  throughout  the  night ;  and,  as  they 
were  also  favored  with  a  clear  sky,  and  had  the  stars  to 
pilot  them,  they  kept  under  sail  till  the  morning.  Before 
retiring  to  rest  they  had  supped  upon  roast  charqui  and 
fish  broiled  over  the  coals ;  and,  after  supper,  talk  com- 
menced, as  usual,  the  chief  topic  being  the  anaconda.  On 
this  subject  the  tapuyo  had  much  to  say,  for  of  all  the  ani- 


HISTORY  OF  THE  ANACONDA.  225 

mals  that  inhabit  the  water  wilderness  of  the  Amazon  there 
is  none  that  inspires  the  Indian  with  greater  interest  than  the 
sucuruju.  It  is  the  theme  of  frequent  discourse,  and  of 
scores  of  legends  ;  —  some  real  and  true,  while  others  have 
had  their  origin  in  the  imagination  of  the  ignorant  aboriginal ; 
some  even  having  proceeded  from  the  excited  fancy  of  the 
colonists  themselves,  both  Spanish  and  Portuguese,  who 
could  boast  of  a  higher  intelligence  and  better  education. 

The  fanciful  say  that  there  are  anacondas  in  the  waters 
of  the  Amazon  full  thirty  yards  in  length,  and  of  a  thickness 
equalling  the  dimensions  of  a  horse !  This  has  been  stated 
repeatedly,  —  stated  and  believed  in,  not  only  by  the  igno- 
rant Indian,  but  by  his  instructors,  the  monks  of  the  mis- 
sions. The  only  fanciful  part  of  the  statement  is  what  re- 
gards the  size,  which  must  be  merely  an  exaggeration.  What 
is  real  and  true  is  of  itself  sufficiently  surprising.  It  is  true 
that  in  the  South  American  rivers  there  are  anacondas,  or 
"  water  boas,"  as  they  are  sometimes  called,  over  thirty  feet 
in  length  and  of  proportionate  thickness ;  that  these  mon- 
strous creatures  can  swallow  such  quadrupeds  as  capivaias, 
deer,  and  even  large-sized  animals  of  the  horse  and  cattle 
kind;  that  they  are  not  venomous,  but  kill  their  prey  by 
constriction, —  that  is,  by  coiling  themselves  around  it,  and 
crushing  it  by  a  strong  muscular  pressure ;  and  that,  once 
gorged,  they  retire  to  some  safe  hiding-place,  —  of  which 
there  is  no  scarcity  in  the  impenetrable  forests  of  Amazonia, 
—  go  to  sleep,  and  remain  for  a  time  in  a  sort  of  torpid 
condition.  Hence  they  are  much  more  rarely  seen  than 
those  animals  which  require  to  be  all  the  time  on  the  alert 
for  their  daily  food. 

Of  these  great  snakes  of  Tropical  America  there  are  sev- 
eral species ;  and  these  again  are  to  be  classified,  according  to 
their  habits,  into  two  groups  markedly  distinct,  —  the  "  boas," 
properly  so  called,  and  the  "  water  boais,"  or  anacondas.  The 
former  are  terrestrial  in  their  mode  of  living,  and  are  to  be 
10*  o 


226  AFLOAT   IN   THE  FOREST. 

found  upon  the  dry  road ;  the  latter,  though  not  strictly  liv- 
ing in  the  water  or  tinder  it,  are  never  met  with  except  where 
it  is  abundant;  that  is  to  say,  on  the  banks  of  rivers  and 
lagoons,  or  in  the  submerged  forests  of  the  Gapo.  They 
swim  under  water,  or  upon  the  surface,  with  equal  facility ; 
and  they  are  also  arboreal,  their  powers  of  constriction  enab- 
ling them  to  make  their  way  to  the  tops  of  the  highest  trees. 
It  is  these  that  are  more  properly  called  sucurujus,  —  a 
name  belonging  to  the  common  language  spoken  upon  the 
Amazon,  a  mixture  of  Portuguese  with  the  ancient  tongue  of 
the  Supinampas,  known  as  the  lingua  geral.  No  doubt,  also, 
it  is  from  some  unusually  large  specimen  of  sucuruju,  seen 
occasionally  by  the  Indian  hunters  and  fishermen,  that  these 
simple  people  have  been  led  into  a  belief  in  the  existence  of 
the  wonderful  Mai  d'Agoa,  or  "  Mother  of  the  Waters." 


CHAPTER  LXXVIII. 

A    SNAKE   "  YARN." 

CHEERED  by  the  thought  that  the  breeze  was  bearing 
them  in  the  right  direction,  our  adventurers  sat  up  till 
a  late  hour.  When  they  at  length  resolved  upon  going  to 
sleep,  it  was  arranged  that  two  should  sit  up,  —  one  to  mind 
the  sail,  the  other  to  ply  a  paddle,  and  keep  the  craft  steadily 
to  her  course,  as  well  as  could  be  done  with  such  a  rudder. 
The  old  sea-cook  still  had  charge  of  the  sheets  and  halyards, 
while  Tipperary,  notwithstanding  that  he  had  already  proved 
himself  such  an  indifferent  helmsman,  was  intrusted  with  the 
steering. 

After  the  many  perils  through  which  they  had  passed,  and 
under  the  apprehension  of  the  many  more  through  which 


A  SNAKE  "YARN."  227 

they  might  yej  have  to  pass,  Tom's  mismanagement,  —  the 
original  cause  of  all  their  misfortunes,  —  if  not  forgotten,  was 
not  remembered  against  him  with  resentment.  It  had  been 
only  an  error  of  judgment,  — a  fault  of  the  head,  and  not  of 
the  heart. 

Even  the  negro,  whose  race  appears,  almost  by  instinct,  to 
inherit  an  antipathy  to  the  countrymen  of  Tom,  and  who,  pre- 
vious to  the  catastrophe,  was  not  always  on  the  best  of  terms 
with  the  Irishman,  no  longer  showed  signs  of  spite :  rather 
had  the  two  become  friends.  Their  friendship  sprung  from 
the  ties  of  a  common  misfortune,  and  any  little  difference 
that  now  displayed  itself  was  in  a  rivalry  as  to  which  should 
make  himself  most  useful  to  the  floating  community. 

On  this  particular  night  they  sat  together  as  white  and 
black  brothers ;  Mozey  attending  to  the  sipo  that  served  for 
a  sheet  to  the  sail,  and  Tom  steering  the  craft  by  a  star  that 
had  been  pointed  out  to  him  as  that  towards  which  he  was  to 
keep  her  head. 

Both  African  and  Irishman  were  not  a  little  vain  of  being 
thus  left  to  themselves.  Up  to  that  time  both  had  been  play- 
ing a  very  subordinate  part  ;  the  Indian  taking  upon  himself 
almost  the  sole  management  of  affairs,  and  treating  them  as 
nobodies.  From  the  night  on  which  they  had  made  their  un- 
fortunate mistake  by  straying  into  the  Gapo,  every  movement 
had  been  made  by  his  counsel  and  direction  :  moreover,  both 
had  suffered  humiliation  by  his  having  saved  their  lives  from 
drowning.  Although  they  were  not  ungrateful  for  that,  they 
were  nevertheless  chagrined  to  think  that  they  should  be.  so 
looked  upon. 

On  this  night,  Munday,  worn  out  by  his  long-continued 
exertions,  was  urged  by  Trevannion  to  desist,  and  recruit  his 
energies  by  good  repose.  As  there  was  no  particular  reason 
why  he  should  remain  awake,  he  had  consented  to  do  so  ; 
and,  with  his  back  against  one  of  the  buttresses,  he  reposed, 
silent  as  the  Sphinx. 


228  AFLOAT  IN   THE  FOREST. 

Neither  the  man  of  Mozambique,  nor  he  of  Tipperary, 
was  given  to  habits  of  silence  ;  and  they  continued  to  con- 
verse long  after  the  others  had  sunk  into  slumber.  After 
what  had  that  day  occurred,  it  was  natural  that  the  theme 
should  be  snakes.     "  Yez  have  got  some  in  your  counthry, 

—  have  n't  yer,  Mozey  ?"  inquired  Tom. 

"  Dar  you  'se  'bout  right,  Masser  Turn.  Have  n't  we  got 
urn  !     Snakes  ob  de  biggest  kind." 

"  But  none  so  big  as  the  wun  we  saw  the  day  ?" 

"Buf!  you  call  dat  a  big  snake.  He  not  more  den  ten 
yard  long.  I  've  hab  some  on  de  coass  of  Africa,  down  dere 
by  Mozabeek,  dat  measure  more  den  a  mile,  —  ticker  round 
de  body  den  dis  ere  log  we  sittin'  on." 

"  More  than  a  mile  long  !  "  rejoined  Tipperary.  "  And 
thicker  than  this  tree  !  Yez  don't  mane  to  say  ye  iver  saw 
wan  ove  that  size  yerself  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  's  not  say  it  war  a  whole  mile.  It  mout  be  less, 
an'  it  mout  a  been  more  d,an  a  mile.  Ob  one  ting  I  's  sartin 
shoo  :  it  wa'  n't  less  den  three  quarters  ob  a  mile.  Youz 
may  b'lieve  um  or  not ;  jess  as  you  pleeze  'bout  dat,  Massa 
Tipprary.  All  I  'b  got  to  say  is,  dat  de  snake  I  'peak  'bout 
war  long  nuff  to  go  clar  roun'  de  kraal,  and  twice  roun'  too." 

"  A  kraal !  what  moight  that  be  ?  I  know  what  a  hrcel  is. 
Miny  's  the  wan  I  've  carried  on  me  back,  full  ov  turf  at  that, 
in  the  bogs  of  Tipperary.     Yez  don't  mane  a  kreel,  div  ye  ?  " 

"  Kreel !  no.  I  'm  'peakin'  'bout  de  place  we  niggers  live 
in,  —  village,  you  white  folk  call  'um." 

"  A  village !  that  is  a  town  av  people,  —  men,  weemen, 
and  childher." 

"Jess  so.     Da  be  men,  woman,  and  chillen  in  de  kraal, 

—  sartin  to  be  plenty  of  boaf  de  last,  —  an'  dar  am  dogs, 
and  sheeps,  and  goats,  and  sometime  big  cattle.  Dat 's 
zactly  what  we  brack  folks  ob  de  African  coass  call  de  kraal. 
Some  am  bigger  dan  oders  ;  but  de  one  I  'peak  'bout,  dat  war 
surrounded  by  de  snake,  war  a  kraal  ob  de  mod'rate  size.     It 


A  SNAKE  "YARN."  229 

had  'bout  a  hundred  houses,  and,  ob  coorse,  it  contain  zackly 
hundred  families,  excludin'  de  picaninnies." 

"  A  snake  to  extind  round  a  hundherd  houses  !  Whin  was 
that  ?  " 

"  When  dis  chile  was  a  pieaninny  hisself.  If  you  like, 
Massa  Tipprary,  I  tell  you  all  'bout  it.  Ye  see,  dat  de  kraal 
I  'peak  'bout  war  my  native  place,  wha  dis  chile  fust  saw  de 
shinin'  ob  de  sun.  I  'pose  I  war  'bout  ten  year  ole  jess  at  dat 
time  when  de  sacumstance  'curred  ob  which  I  go  tell  you. 
Near  de  village  dar  war  a  big  foress.  It  wa'  filled  with  all 
sorts  ob  dangerous  beasts.  Da  wa'  buffaloes  and  elephants, 
an'  de  rhinoceros,  an'  hipperpotamusses,  an'  dar  war  big  mon- 
keys ob  de  baboon  'pecies.  These  lass  war  partickler  danger- 
ous, 'pecially  to  de  women  ob  de  place,  for  if  any  ob  de  nigga 
gals  strayed  too  fur  into  de  foress,  den  de  baboons  carried  dem 
up  into  de  tops  ob  de  highest  trees,  an'  dere  kep'  dem  prisoner 
fo'eber.  But  de  wussest  ting  in  dat  wood  war  de  snakes. 
Da  Avar  ob  all  sorts  an'  sizes.  Dere  war  de  cobera,  berry 
benemous,  dat  killed  you  wif  him  bite,  an'  de  spit  snake 
dat  fo'  pizen  beat  de  cobera  all  holler,  as  it  kud  kill  ye  by  jess 
spittin'  upon  yer  from  among  de  branches  ob  a  tree.  An' 
da  war  de  whip-snake,  dat  lashed  folks  to  deaph  wif  him 
tail ;  an'  de  rock-boa  dat  twisted  itself  roun!  you  body  an' 
crushed  you  to  de  jelly.  But  none  ob  dese  kud  hold  a 
candle  to  de  great  big  snake  ob  all, —  de  one  I  tell  you 
'bout.  Munday,  he  call  dat  we  see,  de  spirit  ob  de  wa- 
ters. Our  big  snake  we  nigga  of  Mozabeek  call  de  dehbil 
ob  de  woods.  Nebba  mind  'bout  de  name.  He  come  one 
fine  mornin',  dis  debbil  come,  while  de  people  ob  de  kraal 
war  all  'sleep,  dat  is  'fore  anybody  get  up  to  go  'bout  dar 
bisness.     He  surroun'  the  village  twice." 

"  You  mane  that  he  crawled  twice  round  it  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  ob  dat ;  -he  may  hab  crawled  twenty  time  roun' 
it :  nobody  know.  De  people  all  'sleep  when  he  come. 
What   dis   chile  mean   is,   dat  when  de  people  get  out   ob 


230  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

dar  beads,  an'  come  to  de  door,  de  debbil  ob  de  woods,  he 
hab  him  body  all  roun'  de  place  in  two  great  coil,  one  on  top 
ob  de  odder,  like  de  cable  'board  ship,  —  de  two  makin'  a 
fence  roun'  de  kraal,  more  'n  ten  feet  high." 

"  Saint  Pathrick  prasarve  us !  " 

"  Ah,  Masser  Tom,  I  tink  I  hear  you  say  dat  de  San  Par- 
fick  you  'peak  'hout  was  a  great  snake-killer  in  yur  country. 
I  wish  he  had  been  in  de  island  of  Mozabeek  on  dat  same 
mornin'.  Pahps  dis  nigger  might  still  hab  a  fadder  an'  a 
modder.  He  loss  dem  boaf  on  de  occasion  we  now  'peak 
ob.  You  see  de  snake,  after  enclosin'  de  kraal  twice  roun' 
wif  him  body,  left  enuf  ob  de  neck  to  reach  all  ober  de  place ; 
den  stretchin'  out  him  mouf,  dat  war  wide  nuf  to  swaller 
a  man  'ithout  chewin'  him,  he  went  from  house  to  house, 
pickin'  out  de  people,  till  der  want  one  lef,  neider  man, 
woman,  nor  chile.  He  eat  up  de  chief  ob  de  kraal  jess 
de  same  as  de  commonest  scum  ob  de  village.  As  fo'  de 
picaninnies,  he  swallow  dem  eight  or  ten  at  a  time,  jess  de 
same  as  we  see  de  ant-eater  do  wif  de  ants.  Boaf  de 
men  an'  de  women  an'  de  chillen  try  to  'scape  out  ob  de 
place.  'T  wa'n't  no  manner  ob  use.  When  dey  tried  to 
climb  ober  de  body  ob  de  snake,  de  ole  debbil  gub  hisself 
a  shake,  an'  down  dey  slipped  from  him  sides,  as  if  him 
skin  had  been  coated  from  de  slush  cask.  Ob  course  da 
wa'  soon  all  destroyed." 

"  But  yerself,  Mozey  ;  how  did  yez  manage  to  'scape  ?  " 

"  Ah,  how !  dat  wor  de  bess  joke  ob  de  whole.  As  I 's 
been  tellin'  you,  I  war  at  de  time  only  a  picaninny,  'bout  ten 
years  ob  de  age.  I  war  considered  'bove  de  common  for  dat 
age,  an'  wa'  employed  in  de  house  ob  de  chief  which  war 
called  de  palace.  Well,  jess  when  I  see  dat  great  big  mouf 
sarchin'  from  place  to  place  an'  swallerin'  up  ebberybody,  I 
know  it  wa  n't  no  use  to  hide  down  dar  among  de  houses. 
Now  dar  war  a  big  pole  dat  stood  righ'  in  front  ob  de  palace, 
wif  a  flag  floatin'  on  de  top.     When  de  odder  folk  war  run- 


ST.  PATRICK'S  PERFORMANCE.  231 

nin'  about  ebbery  wha  else,  I  climbed  up  de  pole,  an'  when 
I  got  to  de  top,  I  drawed  de  flag  roun'  me,  so  as  to  hide  de 
whole  ob  my  body.  When  dat  'ere  debbil  ob  de  woods  had 
finished  off  wif  de  oder  people,  and  cleared  out  de  kraal  com- 
plete, he  nebber  thought  'bout  lookin'  up  de  pole,  or  'spectin' 
whether  tha  wa'  anybody  wrop  up  in  de  flag  at  de  top.  Dis 
chile  kep'  up  dar  till  he  see  de  snake  'tretch  out  him  long 
body,  an'  go  back  to  de  big  fbress.  Den  I  slip  down  from  de 
tree,  an'  make  my  way  to  de  nearest  place  wha  da  war  peo- 
ple. As  boaf  my  fadder  and  modder  had  been  eat  up  'long 
wi'  de  ress,  I  atterwards  left  home  an'  tuk  to  de  sea.  Dat 's 
why  dis  nigger  hab  wandered  all  de  way  fom  dat  'ere  island 
ob  Mozabeek.  Buf!  de  snake  we  see  here,  de  spirit  ob 
de  water,  a'n't  no  more  to  de  debbil  ob  de  woods  dan  a 
tadpole  am  to  de  biggest  alligator  in  all  de  waters  ob  de 
Amazum." 


CHAPTER   LXXIX. 

ST.     PATRIC  K'S     PERFORMANCE. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  serious  air  with  which 
Mozey  told  his  very  improbable  story,  Tom  did  not  ap- 
pear to  give  implicit  credence  to  it.  He  evidently  suspected 
that  the  rogue  had  been  cheating  him  ;  and,  after  several 
exclamations  of  wonder,  but  without  betraying  incredulity, 
he  sat  in  silence,  apparently  cogitating  some  scheme  for  re- 
paying him.  It  was  not  long  before  an  opportunity  offered, 
his  companion  unintentionally  furnishing  him  with  a  cue. 

"  I 's  hab  heer,  Massa  Turn,  dat  dar  am  no  snake  in  de 
country  wha  you  come  from.     Dat  'ere  de  troof  ?  " 

"  Yis.  Nayther  snake  nor  toad  in  owld  Oireland,  —  nayther 
could  live  for  a  single  hour,  if  ye  plants  them  thare.     The 


232  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

green  island  wud  n't  contain  thim  bekase  they  're  condimned 
to  die  the  moment  they  sit  fut  on  the  sod." 

"  But  what  condemn  dem  ?  " 

"  Saint  Pathrick,  to  be  shure.  Trath,  thare  's  a  story 
about  that.  May  be  yez  wud  loike  to  be  afther  hearin'  it, 
Mozey?" 

"  Like  um  berry  much,  Massy  Turn." 

"  Will,  thin,  I  '11  till  it  to  yer.  It  is  n't  such  a  wondherful 
story  as  yours ;  but  it  had  a  betther  indin',  as  yer '11  see  when 
ye  've  heerd  it.  Instid  av  the  snakes  killin'  all  the  jieople 
exciptin'  wan,  the  riptiles  got  killed  thimsilves,  all  but  wan, 
—  that  was  the  father  of  ivry  sirpint  in  the  world.  He's 
livin'  yit,  an'  must  now  be  about  live  thousand  years  uv  age. 
So  the  praste  sez. 

"  A  long  toime  ago,  owld  Oireland  was  very  badly  infisted 
wid  thim  craythers.  They  wur  so  thick  all  over  the  swate 
island,  that  yez  cud  n't  sit  your  fut  down  widout  triddin'  on 
wan  av  their  tails ;  an'  to  kape  out  av  their  way  the  people 
had  to  build  a  great  scaffoldin'  that  extinded  all  over  the 
counthry,  and  slape  on  the  threes,  just  as  we  've  been  doin' 
over  the  gyapo. 

"  Whiniver  they  wanted  anythin'  to  ate,  such  as  purtaties, 
an'  the  loike,  they  were  compilled  to  git  it  up  from  the  ground 
wid  long  forks ;  and  whin  they  wur  in  need  to  dhrink,  they 
had  to  dip  it  up  in  buckets,  as  if  they  were  drawin'  it  out  av 
a  well. 

"  Av  coorse  this  was  moighty  inconvauient,  an'  cud  n't  last 
long  no  how.  The  worst  ov  it  was,  that  the  snakes,  instid  ov 
gettin'  thinned  off,  were  ivery  year  growin'  thicker,  by  razin 
ov  their  large  families  ov  young  wuns.  Will,  it  got  so  bad 
at  last  that  ther'  wus  n't  a  spot  av  groun'  bigger  than  the 
bunck  ov  your  hand  that  war  n't  occupoyed  by  a  snake,  an'  in 
some  places  they  were  two  deep.  The  people  up  on  the  plat- 
form that  I  towld  yez  about,  they  cursed  an'  swore,  an'  raged, 
an'  raved,  an'  at  last  prayed  to  be  delivered  from  the  inirny." 


ST.   PATRICK'S   PERFORMANCE.  233 

Here  Tom  paused  to  note  the  effect  of  his  speech  on  his 
sable  listener. 

"  But  dey  war  delibbered,  —  wur  dey  ?  " 

"  Trath,  wur  they.  If  they  bad  n't,  is  it  at  all  loikely  that 
yer  wud  see  me  here  ?  "Will,  the  people  prayed.  Not  as 
your  countrymen  prays,  to  a  stick  or  a  stone,  or  beloike  to 
the  sarpints  themselves,  that  could  do  them  no  benefit ;  but 
to  a  lady,  that  was  able  to  protect  them.  "We,  in  owld  Oire- 
land,  call  her  the  Virgin  Mary.  She  was  the  mother  av 
Him  that  came  down  from  the  siventh  heaven  to  save  us 
poor  sinners.  But  what 's  the  use  of  my  tryin'  to  explain  all 
that  to  an  ignorant  haythen,  loike  you  ?  " 

"  No  use,  Massa  Turn,  no  use,"  rejoined  the  African,  in  a 
tone  of  resignation. 

"  Never  moind,  Mozey.  The  lady  heerd  their  prayer,  and 
that  was  an  ind  to  it." 

"  She  killed  da  snakes  !  " 

"  Arrah  now  ;  did  yez  think  the  Virgin  Mary  —  a  raal 
lady  as  she  was  —  ud  be  afther  doin'  such  dhirty  work  as 
slaughter  a  whole  island  full  of  venomous  sarpents  ?  Not  a 
bit  av  that  same.  It 's  true  they  were  desthroyed ;  but  not  by 
her  own  swate  hands.  She  sinds  a  man  to  do  the  work  for 
her.     She  sint  Sant  Pathrick." 

"  O,  I 's  heerd  ye  'peak  ob  dat  man,  many  Vde  time,  Mas- 
sa Turn.     'T  wur  him  dat  kill  de  serpents,  wur  it  ?  " 

"  Trath  was  it, 

"  But  how  'd  he  do  it  ?  It  muss  hab  take  um  a  berry  long 
time  to  destroy  um  all." 

"  There  ye  are  intirely  asthray,  nager.  It  only  occupied 
him  wan  day,  an'  not  all  the  day  nayther,  for  he  had  done 
the  work  a  tbrifle  ov  a  hour  or  so  afther  dinner-time." 

"  Gollys  !  how  'd  he  do  all  dat  ?  " 

"  "Will !  ye  see,  he  invited  all  the  snakes  to  a  grand  ban- 
quit.  He  had  such  a  charmin'  way  wid  him  that  they  wun 
an'  all  agreed  to  come.     The  place  was  on  the  top  of  a  high 


234  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

mountain,  —  called  the  Hill  of  How th,  —  far  hoigher  than 
any  in  the  Andays  we  saw  when  crossin'  thare.  The  faste 
he  had  provided  for  them  was  a  colliction  of  toads,  includin' 
every  wun  ov  thim  that  inhabited  the  island.  The  toads  he 
had  invited  too ;  an'  the  stupid  craythers,  not  suspictin'  any- 
thin',  come  willingly  to  the  place. 

"  Now  yez  must  undherstand,  nager,  that  the  snakes  are 
moighty  fond  of  toads,  and  frogs  too ;  but  Saint  Pathrick  had 
no  ill-will  against  the  frogs,  an'  they  wur  exchused  from  com- 
in\  As  it  was,  the  toads  wur  axed  at  an  earlier  hour  than 
the  snakes,  an'  got  first  to  the  top  of  the  hill  ;  an'  while  they 
were  waitin'  there  to  see  what  was  to  be  done,  the  sarpints 
came  glidin'  up,  and  bein'  tould  that  their  dinner  was  spread 
before  them,  they  fell  to,  an'  swallowed  up  every  toad  upon 
the  hill,  which  was  every  wun  there  was  in  all  Oireland." 

The  narrator  made  a  long  pause,  either  to  draw  breath 
after  such  a  declamation,  or  to  give  time  for  his  companion  to 
indulge  his  astonishment. 

"  Gora ! "  exclaimed  the  latter,  impatient  for  further  ex- 
planation. "  How  'bout  de  snakes  demselves  ?  Surely  dey 
did  n't  swallow  one  anodder  ?  " 

"  Trath !  an'  that 's  jest  what  they  did  do,  —  every  mother's 
son  of  thim." 

"  But  dat  'ere  doan'  'tan'  to  reezun,  unless  dey  hab  a  fight 
one  wif  de  odder  ?     Splain  yourself,  Massa  Turn." 

"  Will,  yez  have  guessed  it  exactly  widout  my  sayin'  a 
word.  They  did  have  a  foight,  that  went  all  roun'  through 
the  whole  crowd,  like  a  shindy  in  Donnybrook  fair.  Yez 
would  loike  to  hear  how  it  begun.  Will,  I  '11  tell  ye.  There 
was  two  kinds  av  the  riptile.  Wan  they  called  '  Ribbon 
snakes,'  an'  the  tother  '  Orange  snakes,'  by  razon  av  their 
color,  both  in  politics  and  religion.  They  had  a  king  over 
both  that  lived  moighty  foine  at  their  expinse.  But  he 
couldn't  manage  to  keep  thim  continted  with  payin'  him 
taxes,  unless  hy  sittin'  the  wan  agaynst  the  tother.     An'  this 


LIGHTS  AHEAD.  235 

he  did  to  the  full  av  his  satisfacshin.  Now  the  bad  blood 
that  was  betwane  thim  showed  itself  at  that  great  gatherin' 
worse  than  iver  it  had  done  afore.  Thare  was  n't  toads 
enough  to  give  them  all  a  full  male ;  and  by  way  of  dissart 
they  thought  they  'd  turn  to  an'  ate  wun  another.  Av  course 
that  was  just  what  Sant  Pathrick  wanted ;  for  he  was  n't 
plazed  at  their  having  two  sorts  of  religion.  So  the  ould 
praste  hugged  thim  on  in  the  quarrel,  till  it  come  to  blows, 
an'  inded  in  both  kinds  killin'  an'  atin'  wun  another  till  there 
was  nothing  lift  av  ayther  exceptin'  the  tails." 

"  Golly  !  what  becomed  of  de  tails  ?  " 

"  O,  thim  ?  The  people  jumped  down  from  the  scaffolds 
and  gathered  thim  up  into  a  hape,  and  thin  made  a  great 
bonfire  av  thim,  and  aftherwardt  spred  the  ashes  over  the 
groun' ;  and  that's  what  makes  ould  Oireland  the  greenest 
gim  av  the  oshin." 

"  But,  Massa  Turn,  you  hab  say  dat  one  ob  de  snakes  'scape 
from  the  genrH  congregation  ?  " 

"  Trath  did  I  say  it.  Wun  did  escape,  an'  's  livin'  to 
make  mischief  in  ould  Oireland  to  this  very  day." 

"  "Which  one  was  he  ?  " 

"  Their  king." 

"  De  king.     How  you  call  um,  Massa  Tipprary  ?  " 

"  The  Divvel." 


CHAPTER   LXXX. 

LIGHTS    AHEAD. 


THE  expression  of  incredulity  had  now  floated  from  the 
countenance  of  the  Irishman  to  that  of  the  African,  who 
in  turn  suspected  himself  imposed  upon.  The  leer  in  Tom's 
eye  plainly  declared  that  he  considered  himself  "  quits  "  with 


236  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

his  companion ;  and  the  two  remained  for  some  moments 
without  further  exchange  of  speech.  When  the  conversation 
was  resumed,  it  related  to  a  theme  altogether  different.  It 
was  no  longer  on  the  subject  of  snakes,  but  stars. 

The  pilot  perceived  that  the  one  hitherto  guiding  him  was 
going  out  of  sight,  —  not  by  sinking  below  the  horizon,  but 
because  the  sky  Avas  becoming  overcast  by  thick  clouds.  In 
ten  minutes  more  there  was  not  a  star  visible ;  and,  so  far  as 
direction  went,  the  helm  might  as  well  have  been  abandoned. 
Tom,  however,  stuck  to  his  paddle,  for  the  purpose  of  steady- 
ing the  craft ;  and  the  breeze,  as  before,  carried  them  on  in  a 
direct  course.  In  about  an  hour  after,  this  gave  token  of  for- 
saking them ;  and,  at  a  still  later  period,  the  log  lay  be- 
calmed upon  the  bosom  of  the  lagoa. 

What  next?  Should  they  awake  the  others  and  commu- 
nicate the  unpleasant  intelligence  ?  Tom  was  of  opinion  that 
they  should,  while  the  negro  thought  it  would  be  of  no  use. 
"  Better  let  dem  lie  'till,"  argued  he,  "  and  hab  a  good  night 
ress.  Can  do  no  good  wake  urn  up.  De  ole  craff  muss  lay 
to  all  de  same,  till  dar  come  anodder  whif  ob  de  wind  ! " 

While  they  were  disputing  the  points,  or  rather  after  they 
had  done  disputing,  and  each  held  his  tongue,  a  sound  reached 
their  ears  that  at  once  attracted  the  attention  of  both.  It 
was  rather  a  chorus  of  sounds,  not  uttered  at  intervals,  but 
continued  all  the  time  they  were  listening.  It  bore  some 
resemblance  to  a  distant  waterfall ;  but  now  and  then,  ming- 
ling with  the  hoarser  roaring  of  the  torrent,  were  voices  as 
of  birds,  beasts,  and  reptiles.  None  of  them  were  very  dis- 
tinct. They  appeared  to  come  from  some  point  at  a  great 
distance  off.  Still,  they  were  loud  enough  to  be  distinguished, 
as  sounds  that  could  not  proceed  out  of  the  now  tranquil  bo- 
som of  the  lagoa. 

Perhaps  they  might  sooner  have  attracted  the  notice  of  the 
two  men,  but  for  the  sighing  of  the  breeze  against  the  sail, 
and  the  rippling  of  the  water  as  it  rushed  along  the  sides  of 


LIGHTS  AHEAD.  237 

the  ceiba.  When  these  sounds  had  ceased,  the  conversation 
that  ensued  produced  the  same  effect ;  and  it  was  only  after 
the  dispute  came  to  a  close  that  the  disputants  were  made 
aware  that  something  besides  their  own  voices  was  disturbing 
the  tranquillity  of  the  night. 

"  What  is  it,  I  wondher  ?  "  was  the  remark  of  Tipperary 
Tom.     "  Can  yez  tell,  Mozey  ?  " 

"  It  hab  berry  much  de  soun'  ob  a  big  forress !  " 

"  The  sound  av  a  forest  ?     What  div  yez  mane  by  that?  " 

"  Wha'  shud  I  mean,  but  de  voices  ob  de  animal  dat  lib  in 
de  forress.  De  birds  an'  de  beast,  an'  de  tree  frogs,  an'  dem 
^ere  crickets  dat  chirps  'mong  de  trees.  Dat's  what  dis 
nigger  mean." 

"I  b'lieve  ye 're  right,  nager.  It's  just  that  same.  It 
can't  be  the  wather,  for  that 's  did  calm ;  an'  it  can't  pur- 
ceed  from  the  sky,  for  it  don't  come  in  that  direction.  In 
trath  it 's  from  the  forest,  as  ye  say." 

"  In  dat  case,  den,  we  muss  be  near  de  odder  side  ob  de 
lagoa,  as  de  Indyun  call  um,  — jess  wha  we  want  to  go." 

"  Sowl,  thin,  that 's  good  news !  Will  we  wake  up  the 
masther  an'  till  him  av  it  ?     What  do  yez  think  ?  " 

"  Dis  nigga  tink  better  not.  Let  um  all  sleep  till  de  broke 
ob  day.  Dat  can't  be  far  off  by  dis  time.  I  hab  an  idee  dat 
I  see  de  furs  light  ob  mornin'  jess  showin'  out  yonner,  at  de 
bottom  ob  de  sky.  Gora !  what 's  yon  ?  Dar,  dar !  'trait 
afore  de  head.  By  golly  !  dar  's  a  fire  out  yonner,  or  some- 
ting  dat  hab  de  shine  ob  one.     Doan  ye  see  it,  Massa  Turn  ?  " 

"  Trath,  yis  ;  I  do  see  somethia'  shinin'.  It  a'n't  them  fire- 
flies, div  yez  think  ?  " 

"  1^0 !  'ta'n't  de  fire-fly.  Dem  ere  flits  about  Yon  ting 
am  steady,  an'  keeps  in  de  same  place." 

"  There 's  a  raal  fire  yandher,  or  else  it 's  the  willy-wisp. 
See !  be  me  troth  thare  's  two  av  thirn.     Div  yez  see  two  ?  " 

"  Dar  am  two." 

"  That  can't  be  the  willy-wisp.     He 's  niver  seen  in  cou- 


238  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

pies,  —  at  laste,  raver  in  the  bogs  av  Oireland.  What  can 
it  be  ? " 

"What  can  which  be?"  asked  Trevannion,  who,  at  this 
moment  awaking,  heard  the  question  put  by  Tom  to  the 
negro. 

"  Och,  look  yandher  !     Don't  yez  see  a  fire  ?  " 

"Certainly;  I  see  something,  very  like  one,  —  or  rather 
two  of  them." 

"  Yis,  yis  ;  there  's  two.  Mozey  and  meself  have  just  dis- 
covered thim. 

"  And  what  does  Mozey  think  they  are  ?  " 

"  Trath,  he  's  perplixed  the  same  as  meself.  We  can't 
make  hid  or  tail  av  thim.  If  there  had  been  but  wan,  I  'd 
a  sayed  it  was  a  willy-wisp." 

"  Will-o'-the-wisp  !  No,  it  can  scarce  be  that,  —  the  two 
being  together.     Ah  !  I  hear  sounds." 

"  Yes,  masther,  we  've  heerd  thim  long  ago." 

"  Why  did  n't  you  awake  us  ?  We  must  have  drifted 
nearly  across  the  lagoa.  Those  sounds,  I  should  say,  come 
out  of  the  forest,  and  that,  whatever  it  is,  must  be  among  the 
trees.     Munday  !  Munday  ! " 

"  Hola  !  "  answered  the  Indian,  as  he  started  up  from  his 
squatting  attitude :  "  what  is  it,  patron  ?  Anything  gone 
wrong  ?  " 

"  No :  on  the  contrary,  we  appear  to  have  got  very  near 
to  the  other  side  of  the  lagoa." 

"  Yes,  yes ! "  interrupted  the  Indian  as  soon  as  the  forest 
noises  fell  upon  his  ear ;  "  that  humming  you  hear  must  come 
thence.     Pa  terra  !  lights  among  the  trees  !  " 

"  Yes,  we  have  just  discovered  them.  What  can  they 
be  ?  " 

"  Fires,"  answered  the  Indian. 

"  You  think  it  is  not  fire-flies  ?  " 

"  No ;  the  loenyos  do  not  show  that  way.  They  are  real 
fires.     There  must  be  people  there." 


LIGHTS  AHEAD.  239 

"  Then  there  is  land,  and  we  have  at  last  reached  terra 
jirma" 

"  The  Lard  be  praised  for  that,"  reverently  exclaimed  the 
Irishman.     "  Our  throubles  will  soon  be  over." 

"  May  be  not,  may  be  not,"  answered  the  Mundurucii,  in  a 
voice  that  betrayed  both  doubt  and  apprehension. 

"  Why  not,  Munday  ?  "  asked  Trevannion.  "  If  it  be  fires 
we  see,  surely  they  are  on  the  shore ;  and  kindled  by  men. 
There  should  be  some  settlement  where  we  can  obtain  as- 
sistance ?  " 

"  Ah,  patron !  nothing  of  all  that  need  follow  from  their 
being  fires ;  only  that  there  must  be  men.  The  fires  need 
only  be  on  the  shore,  and  as  for  the  men  who  made  them, 
instead  of  showing  hospitality,  just  as  like  they  make  take  a 
fancy  to  eat  us." 

"  Eat  us  !  you  mean  that  they  may  be  cannibals  ?  " 

"Just  so,  patron.  Likely  as  not.  It's  good  luck,"  pur- 
sued the  tapuyo,  looking  around,  "  the  wind  went  down,  else 
we  might  have  been  carried  too  close.  I  must  swim  towards 
yon  lights,  and  see  what  they  are,  before  we  go  any  nearer. 
Will  you  go  with  me,  young  master  ?  " 

"  O,  certainly  ! "  replied  Richard,  to  whom  the  question 
was  addressed. 

"  Well,  then,"  continued  the  tapuyo,  speaking  to  the  others, 
"you  must  not  make  any  loud  noise  while  we  are  gone. 
We  are  not  so  very  distant  from  those  fires,  —  a  mile  or 
thereabout ;  and  the  water  carries  the  sound  a  long  ways. 
If  it  be  enemies,  and  they  should  hear  us,  there  would  be  no 
chance  of  escaping  from  them.  Come,  young  master,  there  's 
not  a  minute  to  spare.  It  must  be  very  near  morning.  If 
we  discover  danger,  we  shall  have  but  little  time  to  get  out 
of  its  way  in  the  darkness  ;  and  that  would  be  our  only  hope. 
Come !  follow  me !  " 

As  the  Indian  ceased  speaking,  he  slipped  gently  down 
into  the  water,  and  swam  off  to  the  two  lights  whose  gleam 
appeared  every  moment  more  conspicuous. 


240  AFLOAT  IN   THE  FOREST. 

"  Don't  be  afraid,  Rosetta,"  said  Richard,  as  he  parted  from 
his  cousin.  "  I  warrant  it  '11  turn  out  to  be  some  plantation 
on  the  bank,  with  a  house  with  lights  shining  through  the 
windows,  and  white  people  inside,  where  we  '11  all  be  kindly 
received,  and  get  a  new  craft  to  carry  us  down  to  Para. 
Good  by  for  the  present!  We'll  soon  be  back  again  with 
good  news." 

So  saying,  he  leaped  into  the  water  and  swam  off  in  the 
wake  of  the  tapuyo. 


CHAPTER    LXXXI. 

AN    AERIAL    VILLAGE. 

THE  swimmers  had  not  made  many  hundred  yards  when 
they  saw  beyond  doubt  that  the  forest  was  not  far  off. 
It  was  even  nearer  than  they  had  at  first  imagined,  the  dark- 
ness having  deceived  them ;  and  perhaps  the  log  may  have 
drifted  nearer  while  they  were  under  the  impression  that 
they  lay  becalmed. 

At  all  events,  they  were  now  scarcely  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
from  the  forest,  which  they  knew  stretched  along  the  horizon 
as  far  as  they  could  have  seen  had  it  been  daylight.  They 
could  only  just  distinguish  a  dark  belt  or  line  rising  above 
the  surface  of  the  water  before  them  ;  but  that  this  extended 
right  and  left  to  a  far  distance  could  be  told  from  the  sounds 
that  came  from  it.  There  was  the  hum  of  tree-crickets  and 
cicadas,  the  gluck  of  toads  and  frogs,  the  screams  of  aquatic 
birds,  the  hooting  of  owls,  and  the  strange  plaintive  calls  of 
the  goat-suckers,  of  which  several  species  inhabit  the  Gapo 
forests  ;  the  whip-poor-will  and  the  "  willy-come-go  "  all  the 
night  long  giving  utterance  to  their  monotonous  melody. 
Harsher  still  were  the  cries  proceeding  from  the  throats  of 


AN  AERIAL  VILLAGE.  241 

howling  monkeys,  with  now  and  then  the  melancholy  moan- 
ing of  the  at,  as  it  moved  slowly  through  the  branches  of  the 
embaiiba  (cecropia-tree).  All  these  sounds,  and  a  score  of 
other  kinds, —  some  produced  by  insects  and  reptiles  of  un- 
known species,  —  were  blended  in  that  great  choir  of  nature 
which  fills  the  tropical  forest  with  its  midnight  music. 

The  two  swimmers,  however,  paid  no  attention  to  this 
fact ;  their  whole  thoughts  being  occupied  by  the  lights,  that, 
as  they  advanced,  grew  every  moment  more  conspicuous. 
There  was  no  longer  any  doubt  about  these  being  the  blaze 
of  fires.  It  was  simply  a  question  of  where  the  fires  were 
burning,  and  who  had  kindled  them. 

The  young  Paraense  supposed  them  to  be  upon  the  shore 
of  the  lagoa.  About  this,  however,  his  companion  expressed 
a  doubt.  They  did  not  seem  to  burn  steadily,  their  discs 
appearing  now  larger  and  now  less.  Sometimes  one  would 
go  out  altogether,  then  blaze  up  afresh,  while  another  was  as 
suddenly  extinguished.  The  younger  of  the  two  swimmers 
expressed  astonishment  at  this  intermittence,  which  his  com- 
panion easily  explained.  The  fires,  he  said,  were  placed  at 
some  distance  from  the  edge  of  the  forest,  among  the  trees, 
and  it  was  by  some  tree-trunk  now  and  then  intervening  that 
the  illusion  was  caused. 

Silently  the  swimmers  approached,  and  in  due  time  they 
glided  in  under  the  shadow  of  the  thick  foliage,  and  saw  the 
fires  more  distinctly.  To  the  astonishment  of  Richard  —  for 
the  tapuyo  did  not  seem  at  all  astonished  —  they  did  not  ap- 
pear to  be  on  the  ground,  but  up  in  the  air!  The  Paraense 
at  first  supposed  them  to  have  been  kindled  upon  the  top  of 
some  eminence  ;  but,  on  scanning  them  more  closely,  he  saw 
that  this  could  not  be  the  case.  Their  gleaming  red  light  fell 
upon  water  shining  beneath,  over  which,  it  was  clear,  they 
were  in  some  way  suspended. 

As  their  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  glare,  the  swim- 
mers could  make  out  that  the  fires  were  upon  a  sort  of  scaf- 
11  p 


242  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

fold  raised  several  feet  above  the  water,  and  supported  by 
the  trunks  of  the  trees.  Other  similar  scaffolds  could  be 
seen,  on  which  no  fires  had  been  kindled,  —  from  the  fact,  no 
doubt,  that  their  occupants  were  not  yet  astir. 

By  the  blaze  human  figures  were  moving  to  and  fro,  and 
others  were  on  the  platforms  near  by,  which  were  more  dimly 
illuminated ;  some  entering,  some  coming  forth  from  "  tol- 
dos,"  or  sheds,  that  stood  upon  them.  Hammocks  could  be 
seen  suspended  from  free  to  tree,  some  empty,  and  some  still 
holding  a  sleeper. 

All  this  was  seen  at  a  single  glance,  while  at  the  same  time 
were  heard  voices,  that  had  been  hitherto  drowned  by  the 
forest  choir,  but  could  now  be  distinguished  as  the  voices  of 
men,  women,  and  children, — such  as  might  be  heard  in  some 
rural  hamlet,  whose  inhabitants  were  about  bestirring  them- 
selves for  their  daily  avocations. 

The  tapuyo,  gliding  close  up  to  the  Paraense,  whispered 
in  his  ear,  "  A  malocca  !  " 

"  An  Indian  village  ! "  Richard  rejoined.  "  We  've  reached 
tierra  Jlrme,  then  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,  young  master.  If  the  dry  land  had  been 
near,  those  fires  would  n't  be  burning  among  the  tree-tops." 

"  At  all  events,  we  are  fortunate  in  falling  in  with  this 
curious  malocca,  suspended  between  heaven  and  earth.  Are 
we  not  so  ?  " 

"  That  depends  on  who  they  are  that  inhabit  it.  It  may 
be  that  we  've  chanced  upon  a  tribe  of  cannibals." 

"  Cannibals  !    Do  you  think  there  are  such  in  the  Gapo  ?  " 

"  There  are  savages  in  the  Gapo  who  would  torture  before 
killing,  —  you,  more  especially,  whose  skins  are  white.  Ts  -y 
remember,  with  bitterness,  what  first  drove  them  to  make 
their  home  in  the  midst  of  the  water  forests,  —  the  white 
slave-hunters.  They  have  reason  to  remember  it ;  for  the 
cruel  chase  is  still  kept  up.  If  this  be  a  malocca  of  Muras, 
the  sooner  we  get  away,  the  safer.     They  would  show  you 


A  SLOW   RETREAT.  243 

■whites  no  mercy,  and  less  than  mercy  to  me,  a  red  man  like 
themselves.  "We  Mundurucus  are  their  deadliest  enemies. 
Now,  you  lie  still,  and  listen.  Let  me  hear  what  they  are 
saying.  I  know  the  Mura  tongue.  If  I  can  catch  a  word  it 
will  be  sufficient.     Hush  ! " 

Not  long  had  they  been  listening,  when  the  Indian  started, 
an  expression  of  anxiety  suddenly  overspreading  his  features, 
as  his  companion  could  perceive  by  the  faint  fight  of  the 
distant  fires. 

"  As  I  expected,"  said  he,  "  they  are  Muras.  We  must  be 
gone,  without  a  moment's  loss  of  time.  It  will  be  as  much  as 
we  can  do  to  paddle  the  log  out  of  sight  before  day  breaks. 
If  we  don't  succeed  in  doing  so,  we  are  all  lost.  Once  seen, 
their  canoes  would  be  too  quick  for  us.  Back,  back  to  the 
monguba ! " 


CHAPTER    LXXXII. 

A  SLOW  retreat:  in  the  arcade. 

THEIR  report  spread  consternation  among  the  crew. 
Trevannion,  incredulous  of  the  existence  of  such  blood- 
thirsty savages  as  Munday  represented  the  Muras  to  be,  was 
disposed  to  treat  it  as  an  exaggeration.  The  young  Paraense, 
who,  when  in  his  father's  house,  had  met  many  of  the  up-riv- 
er traders,  and  heard  them  conversing  on  this  very  theme,  was 
able  to  indorse  what  the  Mundurucu  said.  It  was  well  known 
to  the  traders  that  there  were  tribes  of  wild  Indians  inhabiting 
the  Gapo  lands,  who  during  the  season  of  the  inundation  made 
their  home  among  the  tree-tops,  —  that  some  of  these  were 
cannibals,  and  all  of  them  savages  of  a  most  ferocious  type, 
with  whom  an  encounter  in  their  native  wilds,  by  any  par- 
ty not  strong  enough  to  resist  them,  might  prove  both  dan- 
gerous and  deadly. 


211  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

There  was  no  time  to  argue  ;  and  without  further  opposition 
the  ex-miner  himself  sprang  to  one  of  the  paddles,  the  tapuyo 
taking  the  other.  They  had  no  idea  of  gSing  back  across  the 
lagoa.  To  have  proceeded  in  that  direction  would  have 
been  to  "court  discovery.  With  such  slow  progress  as 
theirs,  a  mile  would  be  about  all  they  could  make  before 
daybreak;  and,  out  on  the  open  water,  their  craft  would  be 
distinguishable  at  three  times  that  distance.  The  course 
counselled  by  the  tapuyo  was  to  keep  at  first  parallel  to 
the  line  of  the  trees;  and  then  enter  among  these  as  soon 
as  the  dawn  began. 

As  the  party  retreated,  not  two,  but  ten  fires  were  seen 
gleaming  among  the  trees,  filling  the  forest  with  their  bright 
coruscation.  The  tapuyo  explained  that  each  new  light  de- 
noted the  uprising  of  a  fresh  family,  until  the  whole  malocca 
was  astir.  The  fires  were  kindled  to  cook  the  breakfast  of 
the  Indians.  Notwithstanding  this  domestic  design,  our  ad- 
venturers looked  back  upon  them  with  feelings  of  apprehen- 
sion ;  for  they  were  not  without  fears  that,  roasted  over  those 
very  fires,  they  might  furnish  the  savages  with  the  material  for 
a  cannibal  repast ! 

To  all  appearance  never  did  the  ceiba  go  slower,  —  never 
lie  so  dull  upon  the  water.  Despite  the  vigorous  straining  of 
strong  arms,  it  scarcely  seemed  to  move.  The  sail  was  of  no 
service,  as  there  was  not  a  breath  of  air,  but  was  rather  an  ob- 
struction ;  and,  seeing  this,  Mozey  let  loose  the  halyards  and 
gently  lowered  it. 

They  had  hardly  made  half  a  mile  from  the  point  of  start- 
ing, when  they  saw  the  dawn  just  appearing  above  the  tops  of 
the  trees.  They  were  upon  the  equator  itself,  where  between 
dawn  and  daylight  there  is  but  a  short  interval  of  time. 
Knowing  this,  the  craft  was  turned  half  round,  and  pulled 
towards  a  place  of  concealment.  As  they  moved  on  to 
make  it,  they  could  see  the  sunlight  stealing  over  the  sur- 
face of  the  water,  and  the  fires  becoming  paler  at   its   ap- 


A  SLOW  RETREAT.  245 

proach.  In  ten  minutes  more,  daylight  would  be  upon 
them ! 

It  was  now  a  struggle  against  time,  —  a  trial  of  speed  between 
the  ceiba  and  the  sun,  —  both  slowly  approaching  a  critical 
point  in  their  course.  Treyannion  and  the  tapuyo  plied 
the  paddles  as  men  rowing  for  their  lives  and  the  lives  of 
others  dear  to  them.  They  almost  felt  as  if  the  sun  fa- 
vored them ;  for  he  not  only  seemed  to  suspend  his  rising, 
but  to  sink  back  in  his  course.  Perhaps  it  was  only  the 
shadow  of  the  trees,  under  which  they  had  now  entered. 
At  all  events,  they  were  in  the  midst  of  obscurity,  propel- 
ling the  dead-wood  into  the  embouchure  of  an  igarape, 
overshadowed  with  drooping  trees,  that,  like  a  dark  cavern, 
promised  them  a  hiding-place. 

At  the  moment  of  entering,  it  was  so  dark  they  could  not 
tell  kow  far  the  opening  extended.  In  this  uncertainty  they 
suspended  the  stroke  of  their  paddles,  and  suffered  the  ceiba 
to  come  to  a  standstill.  As  yet  they  had  no  other  light  than 
that  afforded  by  the  fire-flies  that  flitted  under  about  the  trees. 
But  these  were  of  the  large  species,  known  as  Gocuyos 
(Elater  noctilucus),  one  of  which,  when  held  over  the  page 
of  a  printed  book,  enables  a  person  to  read  ;  and  as  there  were 
many  of  them  wandering  about,  their  united  sparkle  enabled 
our  adventurers  to  make  out  that  the  creek  was  of  very  lim- 
ited extent. 

Gradually,  as  the  sun  rose  higher,  his  light  fell  gently  glim- 
mering through  the  leaves,  and  showed  that  the  arcade  was  a 
cul  de  sac,  extending  only  about  a  hundred  yards  into  the 
labyrinth  of  branches  and  parasitical  plants.  They  had  en- 
tered, so  to  speak,  a  court  through  which  there  was  no  thor- 
oughfare ;  and  there  they  must  remain.  They  could  only 
get  out  of  it  by  taking  to  the  tree-tops,  or  else  by  returning 
to  the  open  lagoa.  But  they  had  had  enough  of  travelling 
through  the  tree-tops,  while  to  abandon  the  craft  that  had 
carried  them  so  comfortably,  and  that  might  still  avail  them, 
was  not  to  be  thought  of. 


24G  AFLOAT  IN   THE   FOREST. 

As  to  returning  to  the  open  water,  that  would  be  like  de- 
livering themselves  into  the  very  jaws  of  the  danger  they 
were  desirous  to  avoid  ;  for,  once  seen  by  the  savages,  there 
would  not  be  the  slightest  chance  of  escape.  They  were 
provided  with  canoes  moored  .among  the  tree-trunks  that 
formed  the  supports  of  their  aerial  habitation's.  Clumsy 
structures  enough ;  but,  no  matter  how  clumsy  or  slow,  they 
were  swifter  than  the  dead-wood;  and  in  the  event  of  a  chase 
the  latter  would  be  easily  overhauled  and  captured.  Only 
one  course  offered  any  prospect  of  safety,  —  to  remain  all  day 
in  the  arcade,  trusting  that  none  of  the  savages  might  have 
any  business  near  the  place.  At  night  they  could  steal  out 
again,  and  by  an  industrious  use  of  their  paddles  put  a  safer 
distance  between  themselves  and  the  dangerous  denizens  of 
the   malocca. 

Having  determined  on  this,  they  drew  their  craft  into  the 
darkest  corner,  and,  making  it  fast  to  a  tree,  prepared  to  pass 
the  time  in  the  pleasantest  possible  manner. 

There  was  not  much  pleasure  sitting  in  that  silent,  sombre 
shadow  ;  especially  as  they  were  in  dread  that  its  silence 
might  be  disturbed  by  the  wild  shout  of  a  savage.  They  had 
taken  every  precaution  to  escape  discovery.  The  little  fire 
left  burning  upon  the  log  had  been  extinguished  by  Munday, 
immediately  on  seeing  the  two  lights  first  described.  They 
would  fain  have  rekindled  it,  to  cook  a  breakfast ;  but  fearing 
that  the  smoke  might  be  seen,  they  chose  that  morning  to 
eat  the  charqui  raw. 

After  breakfast  they  could  do  nothing  but  keep  their  seats, 
and  await,  with  such  patience  as  they  might  command,  the 
development  of  events.  It  was  not  all  darkness  around  them. 
As  the  little  creek  penetrated  the  trees  in  a  straight  line,  they 
commanded  a  view  of  a  portion  of  the  lagoa.  Their  situation 
was  very  similar  to  that  of  a  person  inside  a  grotto  or  cavern 
on  the  sea-shore,  which  commands  a  view  of  the  ocean 
sfretching  away  from  its  mouth,  the  bright  space  gradually 


A  SLOW  RETREAT.  247 

widening  as  it  recedes  in  the  distance.  Though  themselves 
seated  in  the  midst  of  obscurity,  they  could  see  brightness  be- 
yond the  opening  Of  the  bay,  —  the  sun  shining  with  a  gold-. 
en  gleam  upon  the  water. 

On  this  their  eyes  were  kept,  —  not  in  the  hope  of  seeing 
anything  there  that  might  give  them  gratification,  but  rather 
desiring  that  nothing  should  be  seen.  Notwithstanding  the 
obscurity  that  surrounded  them,  they  could  not  divest  them- 
selves of  the  idea  that  one  passing  the  entrance  of  the  creek 
could  see  them  distinctly  enough ;  and  this  kept  them  in 
constant  apprehension. 

They  had  no  need  to  keep  watch  in  any  other  direction. 
Behind  them,  and  on  each  side,  extended  the  unbroken 
wall  of  tree-tops,  shaded  with  llianas,  worked  and  woven 
together  into  a  network  that  appeared  impenetrable  even  to 
the  wild  animals  of  the  forest.  Who  would  have  looked  for 
an  enemy  in  human  shape  to  come  that  way  ? 

Up  to  noon  no  incident  occurred  to  disturb  the  tranquillity 
of  the  place  or  in  any  way  add  to  their  apprehensions.  Now 
and  then  a  bird  appeared,  winging  its  way  over  the  bright 
band  illumined  by  the  sun,  or  poising  itself  for  a  moment  and 
then  plunging  downward  upon  some  prey  it  had  detected 
in  the  water.  All  these  appearances  only  increased  their 
confidence ;  as  the  presence  of  the  birds,  undisturbed  at  their 
ordinary  avocations,  indicated  the  absence  of  human  beings. 

The  same  conclusion  was  drawn  from  the  behavior  of  a 
brace  of  large  fish-cows,  at  some  distance  outside,  directly 
in  front  of  the  arcade.  When  first  noticed,  they  were  en- 
gaged in  some  sort  of  rude  gambol,  at  which  they  continued 
for  a  full  half-hour.  After  that,  one  of  them  swam  off,  while 
the  other,  laying  itself  along  the  water,  appeared  to  go  to 
sleep. 

It  was  a  tantalizing  sight  to  the  eyes  of  the  old  tapuyo ; 
and  it  was  just  as  much  as  he  could  do  to  restrain  himself 
from  swimming  out  and  attacking  the  sleeper,  either  with  his 


213  AFLOAT  IN  TIIE  FOREST. 

knife  or  the  pashuba  spoar.  The  danger,  however,  would 
have  been  too  great,  not  from  a  conflict  with  the  cow,  but  of 
being  seen  by  the  sharp-eyed  savages.  ! 

In  view  of  this,  the  Mundurucii  resisted  the  temptation, 
and  consented,  though  not  without  reluctance,  to  let  the 
peixe-boi  continue  its  slumbers  uninterrupted. 


CHAPTER     LXXXIII. 

FOLLOWING   THE   FLOAT. 

UNFORTUNATELY  for  our  adventurers,  as  well  as  for 
the  cow-fish  itself,  other  eyes  than  those  of  the  tapuyo 
had  been  watching  the  gambols  of  the  two  cetaceans,  and 
had  paid  particular  attention  to  the  one  now  taking  its  siesta 
on  the  surface.  Neither  Munday  nor  his  companions  had  any 
suspicion  of  this  ;  for,  excepting  the  peixe-boi  itself,  no  living 
creature  was  in  sight.  Having  observed  it  for  a  considerable 
length  of  time,  still  reclining  in  its  attitude  of  repose,  they 
had  almost  ceased  to  think  of  it ;  when  all  at  once  it  was 
seen  to  spring  clear  out  of  the  water,  and,  after  making  two 
or  three  grotesque  plunges,  sink  suddenly  below  the  sur- 
face ! 

The  action  was  too  violent  and  unnatural  to  be  voluntary. 
The  peixe-boi  had  evidently  been  assailed  in  its  sleep  by 
some  enemy,  from  which  it  was  but  too  eager  to  retreat. 

But  what  could  this  enemy  be  ?  The  tapuyo  knew  of 
nothing  under  the  water  that  was  likely  to  have  made  the  at- 
tack. There  are  no  sharks  nor  swordfish  in  the  Gapo,  and 
an  alligator  would  scarcely  dare  to  meddle  with  a  creature 
of  such  enormous  dimensions.  Much  less  could  an  enemy 
have  come  from  the  air.     There  is  no  bird  in  South  America, 


FOLLOWING  THE   FLOAT.  249 

not  even  the  great  condor  itself,  that  would  think  of  swoop- 
ing down  upon  a  peixe-boi. 

Some  of  the  party  said  that  they  had  seen  something 
glancing  towards  the  cow-fish  at  the  moment  it  made  the 
leap,  —  something  that  looked  like  a  flash  of  lightning ! 
"What  could  that  be  ?  There  was  no  cloud  in  the  sky,  no 
thunder.     It  could  not  have  been  lightning. 

"  Pa  terra  !  "  exclaimed  the  tapuyo,  in  evident  alarm.  "  I 
know  what  it  was.    Keep  quiet  or  we  are  lost !  " 

"  What  was  it  ?  " 

"  A  harpoon,  —  look  yonder,  patron  !  Don't  you  see  the 
water  in  motion  where  the  juaroua  went  down  ?  " 

"Certainly  I  do.  That's  very  natural.  The  waves  are 
caused  hy  the  plunging  of  the  animal." 

"The  waves!  not  that;  look  again.  You  see  a  thin  rip- 
ple. There's  a  cord  making  it.  Yonder 's  the  float!  and 
close  behind  that  you  will  see  something  more.  There,  there 
he  is ! " 

Sure  enough,  there  was  a  rippling  line  caused  by  a  cord 
drawn  rapidly  along  the  surface ;  at  the  end  of  this  a  small 
buoy  of  wood  dragged  rapidty  after,  and  close  behind  a  canoe, 
with  an  Indian  in  it,  the  Indian  in  a  bent  attitude,  plying  his 
paddle,  and  evidently  in  pursuit  of  the  wounded  cow-fish. 
The  log  was  a  "  float,"  the  line  drawing  it  along  was  at  its 
other  end  attached  to  a  harpoon,  and  that  harpoon  had  its 
barbs  buried  in  the  body  of  the  peixe-boi ! 

Such  a  specimen  of  a  human  being,  even  for  a  savage, 
none  of  the  spectators  —  the  tapuyo  perhaps  excepted  —  had 
ever  beheld.  He  was  as  naked  as  if  he  had  never  been  out- 
side the  Garden  of  Eden  ;  and  this  very  nakedness  displayed 
a  form  that,  but  for  the  absence  of  a  hairy  covering,  more  re- 
sembled that  of  a  monkey  than  a  man.  A  body  extremely 
attenuated,  yet  pot-bellied,  too  ;  a  pair  of  long,  thin  arms,  with 
legs  to  match,  the  latter  knotted  at  the  knees,  the  former 
balled  at  the  elbows ;  a  huge  head,  seemingly  larger  from  its 
11* 


250  AFLOAT   IN  TOE  FOREST. 

mop  of  malted  hair;  a  face  with  high  cheeks  and  sunken 
eyes,  —  gave  him  an  appearance  more  demoniac  than  human. 
No  wonder  that  little  Rosa  screamed  as  he  came  in  sight, 
and  that  dismay  exhibited  itself  on  the  features  of  several 
others  of  the  party. 

"Hush!"  whispered  Munday.  "Silence  all!  Not  a  word, 
or  we  shall  be  seen,  and  then  not  he,  but  perhaps  a  hundred 
of  his  tribe Hush  !  " 

Fortunately  the  scream  of  Rosita  had  been  only  slight ; 
and  the  savage,  in  eager  pursuit  of  the  peixe-boi,  had  not 
heard  it,  for  he  continued  the  chase  without  pause. 

He  had  no  difficulty  in  discovering  the  whereabouts  of  his 
game.  The  float  guided  him ;  for,  no  matter  where  the  cow 
went,  the  tether  was  still  attached  to  her,  and  the  movement 
of  the  log  along  the  surface  betrayed  to  the  eye  of  her  pursuer 
every  change  of  direction. 

Two  or  three  times,  the  savage,  dropping  his  paddle,  was 
enabled  to  lay  hold  of  the  line  and  commence  hauling  in ; 
but  the  great  strength  of  the  juaroua,  as  yet  unexhausted, 
proved  too  much  for  him,  and  he  was  compelled  to  let  go  or 
be  pulled  out  of  his  craft. 

The  latter  was  but  a  frail  concern,  of  the  smallest  and  rud- 
est kind,  —  consisting  of  a  shell  of  bark,  gathered  up  at  both 
ends  and  tied  by  sipos,  so  as  to  give  it  somewhat  the  shape 
of  an  ordinary  canoe.  Even  when  paddling  with  all  his 
strength,  its  owner  could  make  no  great  speed ;  but  great 
speed  was  not  required  in  the  chase  of  a  peixe-boi  with  a 
barbed  spear  sticking  through  its  skin  and  rankling  between 
its  ribs.  It  only  required  patience,  until  the  huge  creature 
should  become  exhausted  with  its  struggles  and  enfeebled  by 
the  loss  of  blood.  Then  might  the  conquest  be  completed 
without  either  difficulty  or  danger. 

For  twenty  minutes  or  more  the  chase  continued ;  the  float 
being  dragged  hither  and  thither,  until  it  had  crossed  the  wa- 
ter in  almost  every  direction.     Sometimes  both  log  and  canoe 


A  CANNIBAL   CAPTURED.  251 

were  in  sight,  sometimes  only  one  of  them,  and  sometimes 
neither,  —  at  such  times  the  cow-fish  having  passed  far  be- 
yond the  limits  of  clear  water  visible  to  the  spectators. 

On  the  last  of  these  occasions,  several  minutes  had  elapsed 
before  the  chase  came  again  in  sight.  Our  adventurers  were 
in  hopes  they  would  see  no  more  of  either  fish,  float,  or  fol- 
lower. The  interest  they  might  otherwise  have  taken  in 
such  a  curious  spectacle  was  destroyed  by  the  thought  of  the 
danger  that  would  result  in  their  being  discovered. 

Just  as  they  had  begun  to  congratulate  themselves  that 
they  were  to  be  spared  this  misfortune,  the  float  once  more 
came  before  their  eyes,  still  being  dragged  along  the  surface, 
but  with  much  less  rapidity  than  when  last  seen.  The  man- 
atee was  coming  into  the  arcade,  the  canoe  following  close 
after,  with  the  hideous  savage  eagerly  plying  his  paddle, 
while,  with  outstretched  neck  and  wild,  scintillating  orbs,  he 
peered  inquiringly  into  the  darkness  before  him ! 

There  was  no  chance  to  escape  discovery. 


CHAPTER    LXXXIV. 

A    CANNIBAL    CAPTURED. 

THE  fears  of  those  standing  upon  the  ceiba  could  not 
have  been  greater  than  that  of  the  savage  himself,  as 
his  canoe  came  bumping  against  the  dead-wood,  and  he  saw 
standing  above  him  a  crowd  of  human  forms.  A  wild  cry 
escaping  from  his  lips  expressed  his  terror  and  astonishment. 
Then  a  second,  in  louder  tone,  was  intended  to  give  the 
alarm  to  his  kindred,  who  might  possibly  hear  it. 

With  an  Indian,  as  with  the  wild  animals,  presence  of  mind 
is  rather  an  instinct  than  an  act  of  reason.     Instead  of  being 


252  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

disconcerted  by  what  he  saw,  and  losing  time  to  recover  him- 
self, the  Mura  at  once  plunged  his  paddle  into  the  water,  and 
commenced  beating  backward,  assisted  by  the  recoil  of  the 
canoe,  which,  on  striking  the  dead-wood,  had  rebounded  from 
it  by  the  violence  of  the  collision. 

In  a  moment  he  had  sculled  himself  almost  clear  of  the  ar- 
cade ;  he  was  already  within  a  few  feet  of  its  mouth,  and 
would  soon  be  back  upon  the  open  lagoa,  when  ho  would  un- 
doubtedly make  for  the  malocca,  and  bring  the  whole  tribe 
of  cannibals  upon  them.  None  of  the  party  thought  of  pur- 
suing him.  There  was  an  attempt  made  to  seize  the  canoe 
at  the  moment  of  its  closing  upon  the  log,  but  the  craft  had 
recoiled  so  suddenly  after  the  collision,  and  been  paddled  so 
rapidly  out  of  reach,  that  it  all  ended  in  Tipperary  Tom  get- 
ting soused  in  the  water,  and  nearly  drowned  before  he  could 
be  dragged  out  again.  The  attempt  at  seizure  might  have 
had  a  different  result  had  Munday  been  among  those  who 
made  it.     But  he  was  not. 

He  was  nowhere  to  be  seen  upon  the  log,  nor  anywhere 
else  !  What  had  become  of  him  ?  None  of  them  could  say. 
Little  Rosa  was  the  only  one  who  could  give  any  explana- 
tion of  his  absence.  She  thought  she  had  seen  him  slip  off 
at  the  back  of  the  log,  while  the  canoe  was  coming  on  in 
front.  She  was  not  sure,  it  was  so  dark  upon  that  side  ; 
and  she  had  been  too  much  engaged  in  regarding  the  ap- 
proach of  the  savage. 

Had  he  made  off  to  conceal  himself  among  the  tree-tops  ? 
Had  he  gone  to  secure  his  own  safety,  and  abandoned  his 
friends  to  their  fate?  They  could  not  think  this.  Such  a 
cowardly  act  would  have  been  contrary  to  all  they  knew  of 
the  brave  Mundurucii,  whose  faithfulness  had  so  many  times 
been  put  to  the  severest  test.     No  one  could  account  for  it. 

Just  at  that  critical  moment  when  the  canoe  had  reached 
the  mouth  of  the  arcade,  a  dark  round  thing,  like  a  human 
head,  rose  up  in  the  water  some  six  feet  before  it,  and  then 


A  CANNIBAL  CAPTURED.  253 

another  dark  thing,  wonderfully  like  a  human  hand,  shot  up 
beside  the  head,  followed  by  a  long  and  sinewy  arm.  The 
hand  was  seen  to  strike  upward  and  clutch  the  canoe  close 
by  the  stem ;  and  then  the  craft  went  down,  one  end  under 
water,  while  the  other  flew  up  into  the  air ;  then  there  was  a 
capsize,  —  the  savage,  with  a  shriek  and  a  loud  plash,  falling 
out ;  and  then  there  was  a  struggle,  —  now  under  water,  now 
above  the  surface,  —  accompanied  by  strange  choking  noises, 
as  if  two  enormous  alligators  were  engaged  in  a  conflict  of 
life  and  death. 

As  the  astonished  spectators  continued  to  gaze  upon  the 
scene,  —  still  but  imperfectly  comprehended  by  them,  —  they 
saw  that  the  combatants  were  coming  nearer,  as  if  the  strug- 
gle was  being  carried  on  towards  the  end  of  the  arcade,  and 
was  likely  to  terminate  where  they  stood. 

And  there  it  did  end,  immediately  after,  by  the  missing 
tapuyo  making  his  appearance  alongside  the  log,  and  drag- 
ging beside  him  the  man  who  had  made  that  involuntary 
"  header  "  from  the  canoe. 

The  latter  no  longer  resisted.  The  knife-blade  glittering 
between  Munday's  teeth  —  a  taste  of  whose  quality  the  sav- 
age had  already  experienced  —  hindered  him  from  offering 
any  further  resistance  ;  and  as  they  came  up  to  the  log,  the 
two  were  swimming  side  by  side  peaceably,  only  that  the  ac- 
tion of  one  was  evidently  involuntary,  while  the  other  was 
directing  it. 

It  was  more  like  the  companionship  of  a  policeman  and  a 
thief,  than  that  of  two  swimmers  who  chanced  to  be  going  the 
same  way.  One  arm  of  the  Mura  was  clutched  by  the  Mun- 
durucii,  as  if  the  captive  was  partly  supported  while  being 
dragged  along. 

"  Reach  out  there,  patron,  and  pull  him  up  ! "  cried  Mun- 
day,  as  he  conducted  his  captive  alongside  the  log.  "  I  don't 
want  to  kill  the  animal,  though  that  might  be  the  safest  way 
in  the  end." 


254  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

"  No,  no,  don't  do  that !  "  returned  Trevannion,  who  now, 
along  with  all  the  others,  had  arrived  at  a  full  comprehension 
of  the  affair.  "  We  can  keep  him  secure  enough  ;  and,  if  his 
shouts  have  not  been  heard,  we  need  not  fear  having  him 
along  with  us."  As  the  patron  spoke,  he  reached  down,  and, 
laj'ing  hold  of  the  captive,  drew  him  close  to  the  side  of  the 
dead-wood.  Then,  assisted  by  Munday  in  the  water  and 
Mozey  upon  the  log,  the  Mura  was  hoisted  aboard. 

Once  upon  the  dead-wood,  a  more  abject  wretch  than  the 
captive  Mura  could  not  have  been  found.  He  trembled  from 
head  to  foot,  —  evidently  believing  that  he  was  about  to  be 
killed,  and  perhaps  eaten.  He  had  only  consented  to  be 
taken  in  the  knowledge — which  Munday  had  in  some  way 
conveyed  to  him  —  that  resistance  could  but  end  in  instant 
death  ;  and  there  are  few,  even  amongst  the  most  reckless  of 
savages,  who  will  not  yield  to  this. 

As  he  stood  dripping  upon  the  dead-wood,  a  red  stream, 
trickling  down  his  wet  skin  from  a  knife-wound  in  the  shoul- 
der, explained  how  the  tapuyo  had  made  known  to  him  the 
idleness  of  resistance.  It  was  a  first  stab,  and  not  dangerous  ; 
but  it  had  given  a  foretaste  of  what  was  to  follow,  had  the 
struggle  been  kept  up.  After  receiving  this  hint,  the  Mura 
had  surrendered ;  and  the  after  commotion  was  caused  by  his 
being  towed  through  the  water  by  a  captor  who  was  required 
to  use  all  his  strength  and  energy  in  supporting  him. 

While  the  canoe-man  was  advancing  up  the  arcade,  the 
Muudurucu,  instead  of  waiting  till  he  came  near,  had  dropped 
quietly  into  the  water,  and  swum  in  an  outward  direction,  as 
if  intending  to  meet  the  manatee-hunter,  face  to  face.  This 
he  actually  did, — met  and  passed  him,  but  without  being  seen. 
The  darkness  favored  him,  as  did  also  the  commotion  already 
caused  by  the  wounded  cow-fish,  which  in  its  passage  up  the 
creek  had  left  large  waves  upon  the  water.  These,  striking 
against  the  trunks  of  the  trees,  created  a  still  further  disturb- 
ance, amidst  which  the  swimmer's  dark  face  and  long  swarthy 
locks  could  not  have  been  easily  distinguished. 


A  CANNIBAL  CAPTURED.  255 

Supporting  himself  by  a  branch,  he  awaited  the  return  of 
the  savage,  —  knowing  that  as  soon  as  the  latter  set  eyes 
upon  the  others  he  would  instantly  beat  a  retreat.  All 
turned  out  just  as  the  tapuyo  had  anticipated  ;  and  just  as  he 
had  designed  did  he  deal  with  the  canoe-man. 

In  all  this,  the  only  thing  that  appeared  singular  was  the 
tapuyo's  taking  so  much  pains  to  go  out  near  the  entrance, 
instead  of  boldly  laying  hold  of  the  canoe  as  it  passed  him  on 
its  way  inwards,  or  indeed  of  waiting  for  it  upon  the  log,  — 
where  any  one  of  the  others,  had  he  been  a  strong  swimmer 
and  armed  with  a  knife,  might  have  effected  the  capture. 

Munday,  however,  had  good  reasons  for  acting  as  he  had 
done.  While  the  canoe  was  approaching,  who  could  tell  that 
it  would  come  close  up?  It  had  done  so,  even  to  striking 
the  dead-wood  with  its  bow;  but  Munday  could  not  rely 
upon  such  a  chance  as  that.  Had  the  savage  discovered 
their  presence  a  little  sooner,  he  would  have  turned  and 
sculled  off,  before  any  swimmer  could  have  come  up  with 
him. 

A  similar  reason  was  given  for  gliding  stealthily  past,  and 
getting  on  the  other  side.  Had  the  Mundurucu  acted  other- 
wise, he  might  have  been  perceived  before  he  could  seize  the 
canoe,  and  so  give  time  for  the  manatee-hunter  to  make  off. 
As  this  last  would  have  been  a  terrible  contingency,  render- 
ing their  discovery  almost  a  certainty,  the  cunning  old  man 
knew  how  important  it  was  ■  that  no  mismanagement  should 
occur  in  the  carrying  out  of  his  design. 

"  If  that  rascal's  shdfft  has  been  heard,"  said  Trevannion, 
"there  will  be  but  little  chance  of  our  escaping  capture. 
From  what  you  saw,  I  suppose  there  are  hundreds  of  these 
hideous  creatures.  And  we,  without  weapons,  without  the 
means  either  of  attack  or  defence,  what  could  we  do  ?  There 
would  be  nothing  for  it  but  to  surrender  ourselves  as  pris- 
oners." 

The  Mundurucu  was  not  able  to  offer  a  word  of  encour- 


25G  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

figment.  To  have  .attempted  defence  against  a  whole  tribe 
of  savages,  armed,  no  doubt,  with  spears  and  poisoned  ar- 
rows, would  have  been  to  rush  madly  on  death. 

"  It  is  fortunate,"  continued  the  ex-miner,  "  that  you  have 
not  killed  him." 

"Why,  patron?"   demanded   the   tapuyo,   apparently  in 

some  surprise. 

"It  would  have  made  them  revengeful;  and  if  we  have 
the  ill  luck  to  be  taken,  they  would  have  been  the  more 
certain  to  destroy  us." 

"No,  no,"  answered  the  Indian,  — "not  a  bit  more  cer- 
tain to  do  that.  If,  as  you  say,  we  have  the  bad  luck  to 
become  their  captives,  we  shall  be  killed  all  the  same. 
Their  old  revenge  will  be  strong  enough  for  that;  and  if 
not  their  revenge,  they  have  an  appetite  that  will  insure 
ouf  destruction.     You  understand,  patron  ?  " 

This  conversation  was  carried  on  in  a  low  tone,  and  only 
between  Trevannion  and  the  tapuyo. 

"  O  Heaven ! "  groaned  the  ex-miner,  turning  his  eyes 
upon  his  children.  "  It  would  be  a  fearful  fate  for  —  for  all 
of  us." 

"  The  more  reason  for  doing  all  we  can  to  avoid  falling 

into  their  hands." 

"  But  what  can  we  do  ?  Nothing !  If  they  discover  our 
hiding-place  before  nightfall,  then  we  shall  surely  be  taken." 

"  Admit  that,  master ;  but  if  they  do  not  —  " 

"  If  they  do  not,  you  think  there  would  be  some  hope  of 
our  getting  away  from  them  ?  "  W 

"  A  good  hope,  —  a  good  hope." 

"On  the  raft?" 

"  Better  than  that,  patron." 

"  You  have  some  plan  ?  " 

"  I  've  been  thinking  of  one ;  but  it 's  no  use  to  speak  of 
it,  so  long  as  we  are  in  doubt  this  way.  If  we  are  left  un- 
molested until  night,  then,  patron,  it  will  be  time  to  declare. 


A   CANNIBAL  CAPTURED.  257 

it.  Could  you  but  promise  me  that  this  screecher  has  n't 
been  heard,  I  think  I  could  promise  you  that  by  midnight 
we  should  not  only  be  beyond  the  reach  of  his  bloodthirsty 
fellows,  but  in  a  fair  way  of  getting  out  of  our  troubles  al- 
together. Ha !  yonder  's  something  must  be  looked  to ;  I 
forgot  that." 

"What?" 

"  The  igarite.  How  near  it  was  to  betraying  us !  Its 
course  must  be  stopped  this  instant."  And  he  once  more 
slipped  down  into  the  water  and  swam  away. 

The  canoe,  out  of  which  the  Mura  had  been  so  unceremo- 
niously spilled,  and  which  was  now  bottom  upwards,  was 
drifting  outward.  It  was  already  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
entrance,  and  in  another  minute  would  have  been  caught  by 
the  breeze  stirring  beyond  the  branches  of  the  trees.  Once 
outside,  it  would  soon  have  made  way  into  the  open  lagoa, 
and  would  have  formed  a  conspicuous  mark  for  the  eyes  of 
the  malocca. 

Munday  swam  silently,  but  with  all  his  strength,  towards 
it.  It  must  be  reached  before  it  could  drift  outside ;  and  for 
some  time  there  was  apprehension  in  the  minds  of  the  specta- 
tors that  this  might  not  be  done.  The  only  one  of  them  that 
Avould  have  been  gratified  by  a  failure  was  the  captive  Mura. 
But  the  wretch  showed  no  sign  of  his  desire,  knowing  that 
there  would  be  danger  in  his  doing  so.  He  was  held  fast  in 
the  strong  arms  of  the  negro ;  while  Tipperary  Tom  stood 
near,  ready  to  run  him  through  with  the  spear  in  «ase  of  his 
making  any  attempt  to  escape. 

Their  apprehensions  soon  came  to  an  end.  The  tapuyo 
overtook  it  before  it  had  cleared  the  screening  of  tree-tops ; 
and,  laying  hold  of  a  piece  of  cord  which  was  attached  to  its 
stem,  took  it  in  tow.  In  less  than  five  minutes  after,  it  might 
have  been  seen  right  side  up,  lying  like  a  tender  alongside  the 
grand  monguba. 

Q 


258  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

CHAPTER  LXXXV. 

A     DAT     SPENT    IN     SHADOW. 

ALL  day  long  did  our  adventurers  abide  in  silence,  keep- 
ing close  in  their  shadowy  retreat.  Now  and  then 
only  the  Mundurucu  swam  to  the  entrance  of  the  arcade ; 
and,  screened  by  the  trees,  took  a  survey  of  the  open  water 
outside.  He  saw  only  a  canoe,  larger  than  that  he  had  cap- 
tured, with  three  men  in  it,  out  upon  the  lagoa,  about  two 
hundred  yards  from  the  edge,  and  opposite  the  malocca, 
which  could  not  itself  be  seen,  as  it  was  some  distance  back 
among  the  trees ;  but,  from  the  bearings  he  had  taken  on  the 
night  previous,  the  tapuyo  knew  where  it  lay. 

He  watched  the  canoe  so  long  as  it  remained  in  sight. 
The  gestures  of  the  savages  who  were  in  it  showed  that  they 
were  occupied  in  fishing,  though  what  sort  of  fish  they  might 
be  taking  in  the  flooded  lake  Munday  could  not  guess.  They 
stayed  about  an  hour;  and  then,  paddling  their  craft  back 
among  the  trees,  were  seen  no  more. 

This  gratified  the  tapuyo  and  those  to  whom  he  made  his 
report.  It  was  evidence  that  the  harpooner  had  come  out 
alone,  and  that,  while  striking  the  cow-fish,  he  had  not  been 
observed  by  any  of  his  people.  Had  that  incident  been  wit- 
nessed, every  canoe  in  possession  of  the  tribe  would  have  in- 
stantly repaired  to  the  spot. 

Since  the  killing  of  a  juaroud  is  an  event  of  rare  occurrence 
in  the  season  of  the  vasante,  when  it  does  transpire  it  causes 
the  same  joyful  excitement  in  a  malocca  of  Amazonian  In- 
dians as  the  capture  of  a  great  walrus  would  in  a  winter  vil- 
lage of  Esquimaux.  It  was,  therefore,  quite  clear  to  our  ad- 
venturers, that  no  suspicion  had  been  aroused  as  to  the  cause 
of  the  harpooner's  absence  from  the  malocca,  and  so  they 
were   enabled   to   endure   their   imprisonment   with   calmer 


A  DAY  SPENT  IN  SHADOW.  259 

confidence,  and  higher  hopes  of  finally  effecting  their  es- 
cape. 

How  long  would  this  state  of  things  continue  ?_  How  long 
might  the  Mura  be  away  before  his  absence  should  excite 
suspicion  and  lead  to  a  search  ? 

"  As  to  such  a  thing  as  this,"  said  Munday,  pointing  con- 
temptuously to  the  shivering  captive,  "  he  '11  no  more  be 
missed  than"  would  a  coaita  monkey  that  had  strayed  from  its 
troop.  If  he's  got  a  wife,  which  I  don't  suppose  he  has, 
she  '11  be  only  too  glad  to  get  rid  of  him.  As  for  any  one  of 
them  coming  after  him  through  affection,  as  you  call  it,  there 
you  're  all  out,  patron.  Among  Muras  there 's  no  such  feel- 
ing as  that.  If  they  'd  seen  him  strike  the  juaroua  it  might 
have  been  different.  Then  their  stomachs  would  have  brought 
them  after  him,  like  a  flock  of  hungry  vultures.  But  th^y 
have  n't  seen  him ;  and  unless  chance  guides  some  one  this 
way  we  need  n't  be  in  any  fear  for  to-day.  As  for  the  mor- 
row, if  they  '11  only  stay  clear  till  then,  I  think  I  can  keep 
my  promise,  and  we  shall  not  only  be  beyond  reach  of  Mu- 
ras, but  out  of  this  wretched  lagoa  altogether." 

"  But  you  spoke  of  a  plan,  good  Munday ;  you  have  not 
yet  told  us  what  it  is." 

"  Wait,  master,"  he  rejoined  ;  "  wait  till  midnight,  till  the 
lights  go  out  in  the  Mura  village,  and  perhaps  a  little  longer. 
Then  you  shall  know  my  plan  by  seeing  it  carried  into  exe- 
cution." 

"  But  does  it  not  require  some  preparations  ?  If  so,  why 
not  make  them  while  it  is  daylight  ?  It  is  now  near  night ; 
and  you  may  not  have  time." 

"  Just  so,  patron  ;  but  night  is  just  the  preparation  I  want, 
—  that  and  this  knife." 

Here  Munday  exhibited  his  shining  blade,  which  caused 
the  Mura  captive  to  tremble  all  over,  thinking  that  his  time 
was  come.  During  all  the  day  he  had  not  seen  them  eat. 
They  had  no  chance  to  kindle  a  fire  for  cooking  purposes, 


2 GO  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

apprehensive  that  the  smoke,  seen  above  the  tree-tops,  might 
bet i:iy  them  to  the  enemy.  Some  of  them,  with  stronger 
Stomachs  than  the  rest,  had  gnawed  a  little  of  the  charqui 
raw.  Mo^t  had  eaten  nothing,  preferring  to  wait  till  they 
should  have  an  opportunity  of  cooking  it,  which  the  Mundu- 
rueii  had  promised  them  they  should  have  before  morning  of 
the  next  day.  Their  abstinence  was  altogether  misunder- 
stood by  the  Mura.  The  wretch  thought  they  were  nursing 
their  hunger  to  feed  upon  his  flesh. 

Could  he  have,  seen  himself  as  he  was  in  their  eyes,  he 
might  have  doubted  the  possibility  of  getting  up  such  an  ap- 
petite. They  had  taken  due  precautions  to  prevent  his  mak- 
ing his  escape.  Tied  hand  and  foot  by  the  toughest  sipos 
that  could  be  procured,  he  was  also  further  secured  by  being 
fastened  to  the  monguba.  A  strong  lliana,  twisted  into  a 
rope,  and  with  a  turn  round  one  of  the  buttress  projections  of 
the  roots,  held  him,  though  this  was  superfluous,  since  any 
attempt  to  slide  off  into  the  water  must  have  terminated  by 
his  going  to  the  bottom,  with  neither  hands  nor  feet  free. 

They  were  determined,  however,  on  making  things  doubly 
sure,  as  they  knew  that  his  escape  would  be  the  signal  for 
their  destruction.  Should  he  Succeed  in  getting  free,  he 
would  not  need  his  canoe ;  he  could  get  back  to  his  village 
without  that,  for,  as  Munday  assured  them,  he  could  travel 
through  the  trees  with  the  agility  of  an  ape,  or  through  the 
water  with  the  power  of  a  fish ;  and  so  could  all  his  people, 
trained  to  the  highest  skill  both  in  climbing  and  swimming, 
from  the  very  nature  of  their  existence. 

There  was  one  point  upon  which  Trevannion  had  had 
doubts.  That  was,  whether  they  were  really  in  such  danger 
from  the  proximity  of  this  people  as  Munday  would  have 
them  believe.  But  the  aspect  of  this  savage,  who  could  now 
be  contemplated  closely,  and  with  perfect  coolness,  was  fast 
solving  these  doubts ;  for  no  one  could  have  looked  in  his 
face  and  noted  the  hideous  expression  there  depicted  without 


THE  CRY  OF   THE  JAGUAR.  261 

a  feeling  of  fear,  not  to  say  horror.  If  his  tribe  were  all  like 
him,  —  and  the  tapuyo  declared  that  many  of  them  were  still 
uglier,  —  they  must  have  formed  a  community  which  no  sane 
man  would  have  entered  except  upon  compulsion. 

No  wonder,  then,  that  our  adventurers  took  particular 
pains  to  keep  their  captive  along  with  them,  since  a  sure 
result  of  his  escape  would  be  that  they  would  furnish  a  feast 
for  the  Mura  village.  Had  he  been  left  to  himself,  Munday 
would  have  taken  still  surer  precautions  against  his  getting 
off;  and  it  was  only  in  obedience  to  the  sternest  commands  of 
Trevannion  that  he  was  withheld  from  acting  up  to  the  old 
adage,  "  Dead  men  tell  no  tales." 


CHAPTER   LXXXVI. 

THE    CRY    OF    THE    JAGUAR. 

THE  night  came  on  without  any  untoward  incident ;  but 
no  sooner  was  the  sun  fairly  below  the  horizon  than 
they  became  aware  of  a  circumstance  that  caused  them  seri- 
ous annoyance,  if  not  absolute  alarm.  They  saw  the  full 
round  moon  rising,  and  every  indication  of  the  most  brilliant 
moonlight.  The  Mundurucu,  more  than  any  of  them,  was 
chagrined  at  this,  because  of  the  importance  of  having  a  dark 
night  for  carrying  out  his  scheme,  whatever  it  was.  In  fact, 
he  had  declared  that  a  dark  night  was  indispensable,  or,  at 
all  events,  one  very  different  from  that  which  the  twilight 
promised  them. 

The  original  intention  had  been,  as  soon  as  night  set  in,  to 
get  the  dead-wood  once  more  into  the  open  water,  and  then, 
if  the  wind  should  be  in  their  favor,  to  bend  the  sail  and 
glide  off  in  any  direction  that  would  take  them  away  from 


262  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

the  malocca.  If  there  should  be  no  wind,  they  could  use  the 
paddles  and  creep  round  the  edge  of  the  lagoa,  going  as  far 
as  might  be  before  another  sun  should  expose  them  to  view. 
It  was  doubtfal  whether  they  could  row  the  dead-wood,  be- 
fore daybreak,  beyond  eyeshot  of  the  savages ;  but  if  not, 
they  could  again  seek  concealment  among  the  tree-tops,  and 
wait,  for  night  to  continue  their  retreat. 

This  intention  was  likely  to  be  defeated  by  the  clear  shin- 
ing of  a  tropical  moon.  As  she  rose  higher  in  the  heavens, 
the  lagoa  became  all  white  effulgence ;  and  as  there  was  not 
the  slightest  ripple  upon  the  water,  any  dark  object  passing 
along  its  surface  would  have  been  seen  almost  as  distinctly 
as  by  day.  Even  the  little  canoe  could  not  have  been  car- 
ried outside  the  edge  of  the  trees  without  the  danger  of  being 
seen  from  afar. 

That  the  entrance  to  the  arcade  and  the  tree-line  outside 
could  be  seen  from  the  malocca  was  a  thing  already  deter- 
mined, for  the  tapuyo  had  tested  it  during  the  day.  Through 
the  foliage  in  front  of  the  village  he  could  see  here  and 
there  some  portions  of  the  scaffoldings,  with  the  toldos  erected 
upon  them,  while  its  position  was  also  determined  by  the 
smoke  rising  from  the  different  fires. 

As  soon  as  night  had  come  on,  he  and  the  young  Para- 
ense  had  made  a  reconnoissance,  and  from  the  same  place 
saw  the  reflection  of  the  fires  upon  the  water  below,  and 
the  gleaming  fires  themselves.  Of  course  they  who  sat  or 
stood  around  them  could  see  them,  should  they  attempt  to 
go  out  with  the  monguba.  This  scheme,  then,  could  only 
be  resorted  to  should  the  moon  be  obscured,  or  "put  out," 
as  Munday  said,  by  clouds  or  fog. 

Munday  admitted  that  his  plan  might  be  put  in  practice, 
without  the  interposition  of  either ;  but  in  this  case  it  would 
be  ten  times  more  perilous,  and  liable  to  failure.  In  any 
case  he  did  not  intend  to  act  until  midnight.  After  that, 
any  time   would  do  before  the  hour  of  earliest  daybreak. 


THE  CRY   OF  THE  JAGUAR.  263 

Confiding  in  the  craft  of  the  old  tapuyo,  Trevannion  ques- 
tioned him  no  further,  but  along  with  the  rest  waited  as 
patiently  as  possible  for  the  event. 

The  water-forest  was  once  more  ringing  with  its  nocturnal 
chorus.  Tree-toads  and  frogs  were  sending  forth  their  me- 
tallic monotones ;  cicada  and  lizards  were  uttering  their 
sharp  skirling  notes,  while  birds  of  many  kinds,  night-hawks 
in  the  air,  strigidce  among  the  trees,  and  water-fowl  out 
upon  the  bosom  of  the  lagoon,  were  all  responding  to  one 
another.  From  afar  came  lugubrious  vociferations  from 
the  throats  of  a  troop  of  howling  monkeys  that  had  made 
their  roost  among  the  branches  of  some  tall,  overtopping 
tree ;  and  once  —  what  was  something  strange  —  was  heard 
a  cry  different  from  all  the  rest,  and  on  hearing  which  all 
the  rest  suddenly  sank  into  silence. 

That  was  the  cry  of  the  jaguar  tiger,  the  tyrant  of  the 
South  American  forest.  Munday  recognized  it  on  the  in- 
stant, and  so  did  the  others ;  for  they  had  heard  it  often 
before,  while  descending  the  Solimoes.  It  would  have  been 
nothing  strange  to  have  heard  it  on  the '  banks  of  the  mighty 
river,  or  any  of  its  tributaries.  But  in  the  Gapo,  it  was 
not  only  strange,  but  significant,  that  scream  of  the  jaguar. 
u  Surely,"  said  Trevannion  on  hearing  it,  "  surely  we  must 
be  in  the  neighborhood  of  land." 

"How,  patron?"  replied  the  Mundurucu,  to  whom  the 
remark  was  particularly  addressed.  "  Because  we  hear  the 
voice  of  the  jauarite"?  Sometimes  the  great  tiger  gets  over- 
taken by  the  inundation,  and  then,  like  ourselves,  has  to 
take  to  the  tree-tops.  But,  unlike  us,  he  can  swim  when- 
ever he  pleases,  and  his  instinct  soon  guides  him  to  the  land. 
Be-ides,  there  are  places  in  the  Gapo  where  the  land  is 
above  water,  tracts  of  high  ground  that  during  the  vasante  be- 
come islands.  In  these  the  jauarite  delights  to  dwell.  No 
fear  of  his  starving  there,  since  he  has  his  victims  enclosed, 
as  it  were,  in  a  prison,  and  he  can  all  the  more  conveniently 


264  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

lay  his  claws  upon  them.  The  cry  of  that  jauarite  is  no  sure 
sign  of  dry  land.  The  beast  may  be  twenty  miles  from  terra 
Jirma" 

While  they  were  thus  conversing,  the  cry  of  the  jaguar 
once  more  resounded  among  the  tree-tops,  and  again  was  suc- 
ceeded by  silence  on  the  part  of  the  other  inhabitants  of  the 
forest. 

There  was  one  exception,  however ;  one  kind  of  creatures 
not  terrified  into  stillness  by  the  voice  of  the  great  cat,  whose 
own  voices  now  heard  in  the  interval  of  silence,  attracted  the 
attention  of  the  listeners.  They  were  the  Muras.  Sent  forth 
from  the  malocca,  their  shouts  came  pealing  across  the  water, 
and  entered  the  shadowy  aisle  where  our  adventurers  sat  in 
concealment,  with  tones  well  calculated  to  cause  fear ;  for 
nothing  in  the  Gapo  gave  forth  a  harsher  or  more  lugubrious 
chant. 

Munday,  however,  who  had  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
habits  of  his  national  enemies,  interpreted  their  tones  in  a 
different  sense,  and  drew  good  augury  from  them.  He  said 
that,  instead  of  grief,  they  betokened  joy.  Some  bit  of  good 
luck  had  befallen  them,  such  as  the  capture  of  a  cow-fish,  or 
a  half-score  of  monkeys.  The  sounds  signified  feasting  and 
frolic.  There  was  nothing  to  denote  that  the  sullen  savage 
by  their  side  was  missed  from  among  them.  Certainly  he 
was  not  mourned  in  the  malocca. 

The  interpretation  of  the  tapuyo  fell  pleasantly  upon  the 
ears  of  his  auditors,  and  for  a  while  they  felt  hopeful.  But 
the  gloom  soon  came  back,  at  sight  of  that  brilliant  moon,  — 
a  sight  that  otherwise  should  have  cheered  them,  —  as  she 
flooded  the  forest  with  her  silvery  light,  till  her  rich  rays, 
scintillating  through  the  leafy  llianas,  fell  like  sparks  upon 
the  sombre  surface  of  the  water  arcade. 


THE  MOON  PUT   OUT.  265 

CHAPTER     LXXXVII. 

THE    MOON    PUT    OUT. 

MIDNIGHT  came,  and  still  the  moon  shone  too  clear 
and  bright. 

Munday  began  to  show  uneasiness  and  anxiety.  Several 
times  had  he  taken  that  short  swim,  like  an  otter  from  its 
earth  or  a  beaver  from  its  dome-shaped  dwelling,  each  time 
returning  to  his  companions  upon  the  log,  but  with  no  sign 
of  his  having  been  gratified  by  the  excursion.  About  the 
sixth  trip  since  night  had  set  in,  he  came  swimming  back  to 
the  dead-wood  with  a  more  pleased  expression  upon  his  coun- 
tenance. 

"  You  've  seen  something  that  gratifies  you  ?  "  said  Trevan- 
nion,  interrogatively  ;  "  or  heard  it,  perhaps  ?  " 

"  Seen  it,"  was  the  laconic  reply. 

"  What  ?  " 

"  A  cloud." 

"A  cloud!     Well?" 

"  Not  much  of  a  cloud,  patron  ;  no  bigger  than  the  spread 
skin  of  the  cow-fish  there ;  but  it 's  in  the  east,  and  therefore 
in  the  direction  of  Gran  Para.     That  means  much." 

"  What  difference  can  it  make  in  what  direction  it  is  ?  " 

"  Every  difference  !  If  from  Gran  Para  't  is  up  the  great 
river.  Up  the  great  river  means  rain,  —  perhaps  thunder, 
lightning,  a  storm.     A  storm  is  just  what  we  want." 

"  O,  now  I  see  what  you  mean.     Well  ?  " 

"  I  must  go  back  to  the  mouth  of  the  igarape,  and  take 
another  look  at  the  sky.  Have  patience,  patron,  and  pray 
for  me  to  return  with  good  news."  So  saying,  the  tapuyo 
once  again  slipped  down  into  the  water,  and  swam  towards 
the  entrance  of  the  arcade. 

For  a  full  half-hour  was  he  absent ;  but  long  before  his 
12 


2G6  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOBEST. 

return  the  news  ho  was  to  bring  back  had  been  told  by  signs 
that  anticipated  him.  The  moonbeams,  hitherto  seen  strik- 
ing here  and  there  through  the  thinner  screen  of  the  foliage, 
had  been  growing  dimmer  and  dimmer,  until  they  were  no 
longer  discernible,  and  uniform  darkness  prevailed  under  the 
shadow  of  the  trees.  So  dark  had  it  become,  that,  when  the 
swimmer  returned  to  the  ceiba,  they  were  only  warned  of  his 
approach  by  the  slight  plashing  of  his  arms,  and  the  next 
moment  he  was  with  them. 

"  The  time  has  come,"  said  he,  "  for  carrying  out  my 
scheme.  I  've  not  been  mistaken  in  what  I  saw.  The  cloud, 
a  little  bit  ago  not  bigger  than  the  skin  of  the  juarouii,  will 
soon  cover  the  whole  sky.  The  rags  upon  its  edge  are 
already  blinding  the  moon  ;  and  by  the  time  we  can  get  un- 
der the  scaffolds  of  the  malocca  it  will  be  dark  enough  for  our 
purpose." 

"  What !  the  scaffolds  of  the  malocca  !  You  intend  going 
there?" 

"  That  is  the  intention,  patron." 

"Alone?" 

"  No.     I  want  one  with  me,  —  the  young  master." 

"  But  there  is  great  danger,  is  there  not  ?  "  suggested  Tre- 
vannion,  "  in  going  —  " 

"In  going  there  is,"  interrupted  the  tapuyo ;  "but  more  in 
not  going.  If  we  succeed,  we  shall  be  all  safe,  and  there  's 
an  end  of  it.  If  we  don't,  we  have  to  die,  and  that 's  the 
other  end  of  it,  whatever  we  may  do." 

"  But  why  not  try  our  first  plan  ?  It 's  now  dark  enough 
outside.     Why  can't  we  get  off  upon  the  raft  ?  " 

"  Dark  enough,  as  you  say,  patron.  But  you  forget  that 
it  is  now  near  morning.  We  could  n't  paddle  this  log  more 
than  a  mile  before  the  sun  would  be  shining  upon  us,  and 
then  —  " 

"  Dear  uncle,"  interposed  the  young  Paraense,  "  don't  in- 
terfere with  his  plans.     No  doubt  he  knows  what  is  best  to 


AN  HOUR  OF  SUSPENSE.  267 

be  done.  If  I  am  to  risk  my  life,  it  is  nothing  more  than 
we  're  all  doing  now.  Let  Munday  have  his  way.  No  fear 
but  we  shall  return  safe.  Do,  dear  uncle  !  let  him  have  his 
way." 

As  Munday  had  already  informed  them,  no  preparation 
was  needed,  —  only  his  knife  and  a  dark  night.  Both  were 
now  upon  him,  the  knife  in  his  waist-strap,  and  the  dark 
night  over  his  head.  One  other  thing  was  necessary  to  the 
accomplishment  of  his  purpose,  —  the  captured  canoe,  which 
was  already  prepared,  laying  handy  alongside  the  log. 

"With  a  parting  salute  to  all,  —  silent  on  the  part  of  the 
tapuyo,  but  spoken  by  the  young  Paraense,  a  hope  of  speedy 
return,  an  assurance  of  it  whispered  in  the  ear  of  Rosita,  — 
the  canoe  was  shoved  off,  and  soon  glided  out  into  the  open 
lasroa. 


CHAPTER     LXXXVIII. 

AN    HOUR    OF    SUSPENSE. 

SCARCE  had  the  canoe  with  its  living  freight  faded  out  of 
sight,  when  Trevannion  repented  his  rashness  in  permit- 
ting his  nephew  to  risk  his  life  in  a  scheme  so  ill  understood 
as  the  tapuyo's. 

He  had  no  suspicion  of  the  Indian's  good  faith.  It  was  not 
that  that  caused  him  regret ;  only  a  certain  compunction  for 
having  so  easily  consented  to  expose  to  a  dread  danger  the  life 
of  his  brother's  son,  —  a  life  intrusted  to  his  care,  and  for 
which  he  should  be  held  answerable  by  that  brother,  should 
it  be  his  fortune  ever  to  see  him  again. 

But  it  was  of  no  use  to  indulge  in  these  regrets.  They 
were  now  idle.  The  act  which  had  caused  them  was  be- 
yond recall.    The  canoe  must  go  on  to  its  destination.     What 


2G8  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

was  that?  Trevannion  could  not  even  conjecture.  He  on- 
ly knew  that  Munday  had  started  for  the  malocca ;  but 
hid  purpose  in  going  there  was  as  much  a  mystery  as 
though  he  had  pretended  to(  have  gone  on  a  voyage  to 
the  moon. 

Trevannion  even  felt  angry  with  the  tapuyo,  now  that  he 
was  out  of  reach,  for  having  concealed  the  plan  of  his  enter- 
prise and  the  extent  of  the  danger  to  be  encountered.  But 
there  was  now  no  alternative  but  to  await  the  return  of  the 
tapuyo,  or  the  time  that  would  tell  he  was  never  more  to 
return. 

It  had  been  fixed  by  the  Indian  himself,  in  a  speech  whis- 
pered into  the  ear  of  Trevannion  as  he  pushed  off  the  canoe. 
It  was  this :  "  A  word,  patron  !  If  we  're  not  back  before 
daylight,  stay  where  you  are  till  to-morrow  night.  Then,  if  it 
be  dark,  do  as  we  proj)osed  for  to-night.  Steal  out  and  away. 
But  don't  fear  of  our  failing.  I  only  say  that  for  the  worst. 
The  Mundurucu  has  no  fear.  Pa  terra!  in  an  hour's  time 
we  shall  be  back,  bringing  with  us  what  we  're  in  need  of, 
—  something  that  will  carry  us  clear  of  our  enemies  and 
of  the  Gapo." 

So  the  party  remained  seated  on  the  log.  Each  had  his 
own  conjecture  about  Munday's  plan,  though  all  acknowl- 
edged it  to  be  a  puzzle. 

The  surmise  of  Tipperary  Tom  was  sufficiently  original. 
"  I  wondher  now,"  said  he,  "  if  the  owld  chap  manes  to  set  fire 
to  their  town  !  Troth,  it's  loike  enough  that 's  what  he  's  gone 
afther.  Masther  Dick  sayed  it  was  ericted  upon  scaffolds  wid 
bames  of  wood  an'  huts  upon  them  that  looked  loike  the  laves 
of  threes  or  dry  grass.  Shure  them  would  blaze  up  loike  tin- 
dher,  an'  create  a  moighty  conflagrayshin." 

The  opinion  of  Tom's  auditors  did  not  altogether  coincide 
with  his.  To  set  the  malocca  on  fire,  even  if  such  a  thing 
were  possible,  could  do  no  good.  '  The  inhabitants  would 
be  in  no  danger  from  conflagration.     They  would  only  have 


AN  HOUR  OF  SUSPENSE.  269 

to  leap  into  the  flood  to  save  themselves  from  the  fire ;  and, 
as  they  could  all  swim  like  water-rats,  they  would  soon  recover 
a  footing  among  the  tree3.  Besides,  they  had  their  great  rafts 
and  canoes,  that  would  enable  them  to  go  wherever  they 
wished.  They  could  soon  erect  other  scaffolds,  and  con- 
struct other  huts  upon  them.  Moreover,  as  Munday  and 
Richard  had  informed  them,  the  scaffolds  of  the  malocca 
were  placed  a  score  of  yards  apart.  The  flames  of  one 
would  not  communicate  with  the  other  through  the  green 
foliage  of  that  humid  forest.  To  fire  the  whole  village 
with  any  chance  of  success,  it  would  be  necessary  to  have 
an  incendiary  under  each  scaffold,  all  applying  the  torch 
together.  It  could  not  be  for  that  purpose  the  tapuyo  had 
gone  forth. 

"While  engaged  in  the  debate,  they  got  so  engrossed  by  it 
as  to  become  neglectful  of  a  duty  enjoined  upon  them  by  the 
tapuyo,  to  keep  a  strict  watch  over  the  captive.  It  was  Tip- 
perary  Tom  and  the  Mozambique,  who  had  been  charged 
with  this  guardianship.  Both,  however,  confident  that  it  was 
impossible  for  the  savage  to  untie  himself,  had  only  glanced 
now  and  then  to  see  that  he  was  there,  his  bronze-colored 
body  being  scarcely  visible  in  the  obscurity. 

As  it  grew  darker,  it  was  at  length  impossible  for  them  to 
distinguish  the  captive  from  the  brown  surface  of  the  ceiba, 
except  by  stooping  down  over  him,  and  this  both  neglected 
to  do.  Little  dreamt  they  of  the  sort  of  creature  they  were 
dealing  with,  who  could  have  claimed  rivalry  with  the  most 
accomplished  professors  of  the  famous  rope-tricks. 

As  soon  as  he  saw  that  the  eyes  of  his  sentinels  were  no 
longer  upon  him,  he  wriggled  himself  out  of  the  sipos  with  as 
much  ease  as  if  he  had  been  an  eel,  and,  sliding  gently  from 
the  log,  swam  off. 

It  was  a  full  half-hour  after  his  departure  before  either  of 
the  sentinels  thought  of  giving  any  attention  to  the  state  of 
their  prisoner.     When  they  did  so,  it  was  to  find  him  gone, 


270  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOSEST. 

and  the  coils  of  tree-rope  lying  loosely  upon  the  log.  "With 
simultaneous  exclamations  of  alarm,  they  turned  towards 
Trevannion,  and  then  all  looked  in  the  direction  of  the  lagoa, 
thinking  they  might  see  a  swimmer  going  out.  Instead  of 
that  they  saw,  through  the  dim  light,  what  appeared  to  be  a 
fleet  of  canoes,  with  men  in  them  violently  wielding  their 
paddles,  and  directing  their  crafts  right  into  the  arcade ! 


CHAPTER    LXXXIX. 

SCUTTLING   THE    CANOES. 

THE  Mundurucu  and  his  young  companion,  having  pad- 
dled their  craft  out  of  the  little  creek,  turned  its  head 
towards  the  Mura  village.  Though  the  fires  were  no  longer 
blazing  so  brightly  as  at  an  earlier  hour  of  the  night,  there 
was  still  a  red  glow  seen  here  and  there,  that  told  the  posi- 
tion of  the  scaffolds,  and  served  as  a  beacon  to  direct  their 
course.  But  they  needed  no  such  pilotage.  The  border  of 
the  forest  was  their  guide,  and  along  this  they  went,  taking 
care  to  keep  close  in  under  its  shadow.  It  was  dark  enough 
out  upon  the  open  water  to  prevent  their  being  observed ; 
but  the  Mundurucu  was  accustomed  to  act  with  extreme  cir- 
cumspection, and  more  than  ever  since  the  mistake  we  re- 
corded some  time  before. 

As  the  malocca  was  but  a  short  distance  from  the  forest 
border,  the  tree  line  would  bring  them  close  to  its  water 
frontage.  Beyond  that  he  could  trust  to  the  guidance  of  the 
surrounding  fires. 

Less  than  half  an  hour's  use  of  the  paddle  —  its  blade 
dipped  gently  in  the  water  —  brought  them  within  a  hundred 
yards  of  the  outskirts  of  the  village.     Although  the  expedi- 


SCUTTLING   THE   CANOES.  271 

tion  was  not  to  end  here,  it  was  not  their  design  to  take  the 
canoe  any  farther.  I  say  their  design,  for  by  this  time  the 
young  Paraense  had  been  made  acquainted  with  Ins  compan- 
ion's purpose.  The  chief  reason  why  Munday  had  not  dis- 
closed it  to  Trevannion  was,  that  the  patron,  deeming  it  too 
dangerous,  might  have  put  a  veto  upon  its  execution.  What 
this  plan  was,  will  be  learnt  by  a  relation  of  the  mode  in  which 
it  was  carried  out. 

Tying  the  canoe  to  a  tree  in  such  a  way  that  they  could 
easily  detach  it  again,  the  two  slipped  over  the  gunwale,  and 
laid  themselves  silently  along  the  water.  Each  was  provided 
with  a  swimming-belt ;  for  the  task  they  had  undertaken 
might  require  them  to  remain  a  good  while  afloat;  and,  more- 
over, it  would  be  necessary  for  them  now  and  then  to  remain 
still,  without  making  any  noise  by  striking  the  water  to  sus- 
tain themselves,  while,  furthermore,  they  would  need  at  times 
to  have  both  arms  free  for  a  different  purpose.  Thus  accou- 
tred, and  Munday  armed  with  his  knife,  they  swam  under  the 
scaffolds. 

They  were  careful  not  to  cause  the  slightest  commotion, — 
careful,  too,  to  keep  out  of  the  narrow  belts  of  light  that  fell 
slantingly  from  the  fires  above.  These  were  becoming  fewer, 
and  fast  fading,  as  the  fires,  one  after  another,  went  out.  It 
appeared  certain  that  the  whole  village  was  asleep.  No  hu- 
man form  was  seen,  no  voice  heard ;  no  sign  of  human  be- 
ings, save  the  scaffolding  that  had  been  constructed  by  them, 
and  the  half-score  of  boats  in  the  water  underneath,  moored 
to  the  trunks  of  the  supporting  trees. 

It  was  to  these  vessels  that  the  Mundurucii  was  directing 
himself  and  his  coadjutor.  Though  his  eyes  were  every- 
where, his  mind  was  fixed  upon  them.  There  were,  in  all, 
about  half  a  score  of  them,  six  being  igarites,  or  canoes  rude- 
ly constructed  of  tree  bark,  similar  in  shape  and  fashion  to 
that  they  had  just  parted  from,  but  three  of  them  of  larger 
size,  each  capable  of  containing  about  eight  men.     The  oth- 


272  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

ers  were  largo  rafts  or  punts  of  rude  fabrication,  each  big 
enough  to  support  a  toldo  hut,  with  a  whole  family,  and  a 
number  of  friends  to  boot. 

Only  to  the  canoes  did  the  tapuyo  direct  his  attention.  On 
swimming  past  the  punts  he  did  not  even  stay  to  regard  them. 
To  all  the  igarites,  however,  except  one,  —  and  it  the  largest, 
—  he  paid  a  visit;  stopping  a  considerable  time  alongside  each, 
but  lying  so  low  in  the  water  that  only  his  head  could  have 
been  seen  above  the  surface,  and  scarcely  that  through  the 
treble  shadow  of  the  night,  the  scaffolds,  and  the  tree-tops. 
It  was  only  visible  to  his  companion,  whose  face  was  all  the 
while  within  three  feet  of  his  own,  and  whose  hands  were 
employed  in  assisting  him  injiis  subtle  task.  What  was  this 
task,  so  silent  and  mysterious  ? 

In  each  of  the  five  canoes  to  which  the  swimmers  had 
paid  their  silent  visit,  and  just  after  their  departure  from  it, 
could  have  been  heard  a  gurgling  sound,  as  of  water  gushing 
up  through  a  hole  in  the  bottom.  It  was  heard,  but  only  by 
him  who  had  made  the  hole  and  the  companion  who  had  held 
the  craft  in  its  place  while  the  knife-blade  was  accomplish- 
ing its  purpose.  To  its  sharp  point  the  soft  tree-bark  had 
yielded,  and  in  ten  minutes'  time  the  five  canoes,  one  after 
another,  were  scuttled,  and,  if  left  to  themselves,  in  a  fair 
way  of  going  to  the  bottom. 

But  they  were  not  left  to  themselves.  They  would  have 
been,  but  for  the  negligence  of  Tom  and  the  sable  Mozam- 
bique. Just  as  the  scuttlers  had  concluded  their  part  of  the 
task,  and  were  about  to  climb  into  the  sixth  canoe,  that  had 
been  left  seaworthy,  a  dark  form  that  might  have  been  taken 
for  some  demon  of  the  flood  was  seen  to  rise  out  of  the  wa- 
ter, and  stand  dripping  upon  one  of  the  rafts.  It  stood  only 
for  a  second  or  two,  — just  long  enough  to  draw  breath,  — 
and  then,  laying  hold  of  a  knotted  lliana  that  formed  a  sort 
of  stair,  it  climbed  to  the  scaffolding  above. 

Dim  as  was  the  light,  the  Mundurucii  recognized  the  drip- 


SCUTTLING  THE  CANOES.  273 

ping  climber  as  the  captive  he  had  left  on  the  log.  "  Santos 
diosf"  he  muttered,  in  a  hoarse  whisper,  "  't  is  the  Mura. 
They  've  let  him  escape,  and  now  we  're  discovered.  Quick, 
young  master.  Into  the  igarite.  All  right ;  there  are  two 
paddles  :  you  take  one,  I  the  other.  There  's  not  a  moment 
to  be  lost.  In  ten  minutes  more  we  should  have  been  safe ; 
but  now  —  see !  they  are  filling  fast.  Good  !  If  he  gives 
us  but  ten  minutes  before  raising  the  alarm  —  Ha  !  there  it 
is.     Off!  off!" 

While  the  tapuyo  was  speaking,  still  in  a  muttered  under- 
tone, a  wild  yell  was  heard  upon  the  scaffolding  above.  It 
was  a  signal  sent  forth  by  the  returned  captive  to  warn  his 
slumbering  nation,  not  that  their  jiavy  was  being  scattered  in 
its  very  dock  by  an  unknown  enemy,  for  he  had  neither  seen 
the  scuttler  nor  suspected  what  had  been  going  on,  but  sim- 
ply to  tell  his  tribe  of  the  adventure  that  had  befallen  himself, 
and  conduct  them  in  all  haste  to  the  spot  where  he  had 
parted  from  his  detested  but  careless  captors.  He  had  seen 
the  two  of  them  go  off  in  the  igarite,  impudently  appropriat- 
ing his  own  vessel  before  his  face.  Whei'e  could  they  have 
gone,  but  to  make  a  nocturnal  investigation  of  the  malocca  ? 

It  was  for  this  reason  he  had  himself  approached  it  so 
stealthily,  not  raising  any  note  of  alarm  until  he  felt  safe 
upon  the  scaffolding  of  his  own  habitation.  Then  did  he  send 
forth  that  horrid  haloo-loo. 

Scarce  had  its  echoes  ceased  to  reverberate  through  the  vil- 
lage, when  it  was  answered  by  a  hundred  voices,  all  shouting 
in  a  similar  strain,  all  giving  a  response  to  the  tribe's  cry  of 
alarm.  Men  could  be  heard  springing  from  their  hammocks, 
and  dropping  down  upon  the  platforms,  the  timbers  of  which 
creaked  under  quick,  resonant  footsteps.  In  the  dim  light  some 
were  seen  hastily  snatching  up  their  bows,  and*  preparing  to 
descend  to  their  canoes,  little  suspecting  that  they  would  find 
them  scuttled  and  already  half  swamped. 

As  Monday  had  said,  there  was  not  a  moment  to  be  lost ; 
12*  K 


274  AFLOAT   IN  THE   FOREST. 

and,  acting  up  to  his  words,  lie  did  not  permit  one  to  be  lost. 
In  the  large  igaritr  propelled  by  the  two  paddles,  he  and  his 
assistant  stole  off  among  the  trees,  and  were  soon  out  upon 
the  lagoa,  pulling,  as  fast  as  their  strength  and  skill  would 
permit  them,  in  the  direction  of  the  creek. 


CHAPTER  XC. 

THE     LOG     LEFT     BEHIND. 

ri^IIE  escape  of  their  captive  had  caused  the  keenest  ap- 
I      prehensions  to  the  people  upon  the  raft,  which  were 
scarce  intensified  at  the  sight  of  the  canoe  entering  the  ar- 
cade. 

By  the  simplest  reasoning  they  had  leaped  to  the  quick 
conclusion  that  the  latter  was  but  the  sequence  of  the  former. 
The  Mura  had  -swum  back  to  his  malocca.  They  knew  he 
could  easily  do  it.  He  had  warned  his  kindred,  and  it  was 
they  who  now  manned  the  igarite  that  was  making  approach. 
It  was  only  the  first  of  a  whole  fleet.  No  doubt  there  was 
a  score  of  others  coming  on  behind,  each  containing  its  com- 
plement of  cannibals.  The  manatee-hunter  had  got  back  to 
his  village  in  time  to  tell  of  the  two  who  had  gone  there  in 
his  own  canoe.  These,  unaware  of  his  escape,  had,  in  all 
probability,  been  surprised  and  taken  prisoners.  Shouts  had 
been  heard  from  the  village  just  before  the  man  was  missed. 
It  was  this,  in  fact,  that  had  caused  them  to  think  of  their 
prisoner.  On  finding  that  he  had  given  them  the  slip,  they  in- 
terpreted these  shouts  in  two  ways.  They  were  either  salu- 
tations of  welcome  to  the  returned  captive,  or  cries  of  triumph 
over  the  death  or  capture  of  the  tapuyo  and  his  companion. 
More  like  the  latter.     So  thought  they  upon  the  log ;  and 


THE  LOG  LEFT   BEHIND.  275 

the  thought  was  strengthened  by  the  appearance  of  the  big 
canoe  at  the  entrance  of  the  arcade.  Its  crew  were  Mura 
savages,  guided  to  their  place  of  concealment  by  him  who 
had  stolen  away. 

These  conjectures,  varied  though  they  were,  passed  through 
their  minds  with  the  rapidity  of  thought  itself;  for  scarce  ten 
seconds  had  elapsed  from  the  time  of  their  sighting  the  canoe 
until  it  was  close  up  to  the  ceiba. 

Then  to  their  great  joy,  they  saw  they  had  been  reasoning 
wrongly.  The  two  forms  had  been  magnified  into  ten,  partly 
through  the  deception  of  the  dim  light,  and  partly  because 
they  had  been  springing  from  side  to  side  while  paddling  the 
canoe  and  steering  it  into  the  creek. 

As  they  drew  near,  the  others  could  see  that  they  were  in 
a  state  of  the  wildest  excitement,  working  with  all  their 
strength,  and  gazing  anxiously  behind  them. 

"  Quick,  uncle,"  cried  Richard,  as  the  igarite  struck  against 
the  dead-wood.     "  Quick  !  all  of  you  get  aboard  here." 

"  Pa  terra !  "  added  the  tapuyo.  "  Do  as  he  tells  you. 
By  letting  your  prisoner  get  off  you  've  spoiled  my  plans. 
There 's  no  time  to  talk  now.  Into  the  igarite !  If  the 
others  are  still  afloat  —  then  —  then  —  Haste,  patron  ! 
Everybody  into  the  igarite !  " 

As  the  Indian  gave  these  directions,  he  himself  sprang  on 
to  the  log ;  and  tearing  down  the  skin  sail,  he  flung  it  into 
the  canoe.  After  it  he  pitched  several  pieces  of  the  charqui, 
and  then  descended  himself. 

By  this  time  all  the  others  had  taken  their  seats  in  the 
canoe,  Richard  having  caught  little  Rosa  in  his  arms  as  she 
sprang  down. 

There  was  not  a  moment  of  delay.  The  two  paddles 
belonging  to  the  igarite  were  grasped,  one  by  Munday  him- 
self, the  other  by  the  negro,  who  was  next  best  rower,  while 
the  two  bladed  with  the  bones  of  the  cow-fish  were  in  the 
hands  of  Trevannion  and  his  nephew. 


276  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

There  were  thus  four  available  oars  to  the  craft,  that 
promised  a  fair  degree  of  .speed. 

With  a  last  look  at  the  log  that  had  carried  them  safely, 
though  slowly,  —  a  look  that,  under  other  circumstances, 
might  have  been  given  with  regret,  —  they  parted  from  it, 
and  in  a  score  of  seconds  they  had  cleared  the  craft  from  the 
branches  of  the  trees,  and  were  out  upon  the  hosom  of  the 
lagoa. 

"  In  what  direction  ?  "  inquired  Trevannion,  as  for  a  mo- 
ment their  strokes  were  suspended. 

"Stay  a  minute,  patron,"  replied  the  tapuyo,  as  he  stood 
up  in  the  igarite  and  gazed  over  the  water  in  the  direction 
of  the  Mura  village.  "  Before  starting,  it 's  as  well  to  know 
whether  they  are  able  to  follow  us.  If  not,  it 's  no  use  kill- 
ing ourselves  by  hard  work." 

"You  think  there's  a  chance  they  may  not  come  after  us?" 

"  A  chance,  —  yes.  If  would  have  been  a  certainty  if 
you  had  not  let  that  ape  loose.  We  should  now  be  as  safe 
from  pursuit  as  if  a  hundred  leagues  lay  between  us  and 
them.  As  it  is,  I  have  my  fears  ;  there  was  not  time  for 
them  to  go  down,  —  not  all  of  them.  The  small  ones  may, 
but  the  big  igarite,  —  it  would  be  still  afloat;  they  could 
bale  out  and  calk  up  again.  After  all,  it  won't  carry  the 
whole  tribe,  and  there  's  something  in  that,  —  there  's  some- 
thing in  that." 

While  the  tapuyo  thus  talked  he  was  standing  with  his 
head  craned  out*beyond  the  edge  of  the  igarite,  scanning  the 
water  in  the  direction  of  the  village.  His  final  words  were 
but  the  involuntary  utterance  of  what  was  passing  in  his 
mind,  and  not  addressed  to  his  companions.  Richard  alone 
knew  the  meaning,  for  as  yet  the  others  had  received  no 
explanation  of  what  had  passed  under  the  scaffolds.  There 
was  no  time  to  give  a  detailed  account  of  that.  It  would  be 
soon  enough  when  the  igarite  was  fairly  on  its  way,  and 
they  became  assured  of  their  safety. 


THE  LOG  LEFT   BEHIND.  277 

•  No  one  pressed  for  an  explanation.  All,  even  Trevannion 
himself,  felt  humiliated  by  the  thought  that  they  had  neglected 
"their  duty,  and  the  knowledge  that  but  for  that  very  neglect 
the  danger  that  threatened  them  would  have  been  now  at 
an  end. 

The  dawn  was  already  beginning  to  appear  along  the 
eastern  horizon,  and  although  it  was  far  from  daylight,  there 
was  no  longer  the  deep  darkness  that  but  a  short  while  be- 
fore shrouded  the  water.  Out  on  the  lagoa,  at  any  point 
within  the  circumference  of  a  mile,  a  large  object,  such  as  a 
canoe,  could  have  been  seen.     There  was  none  in  sight. 

This  looked  well.  Perfect  stillness  reigned  around  the 
Mura  village.  There  was  no  human  voice  to  be  heard,  where 
but  the  moment  before  there  had  been  shouting  and  loud  talk- 
ing, both  men  and  women  taking  part  in  what  appeared  a 
confused  conversation.  The  fires,  too,  were  out,  or  at  all 
events  no  longer  visible  from  the  lagoa. 

Munday  remarked  that  the  silence  augured  ill.  "  I  fear 
they  are  too  busy  to  be  making  a  noise,"  said  he.  "  Their 
keeping  quiet  argues  that  they  have  the  means,  as  well  as 
the  intention,  to  come  after  us.  If  they  had  not,  you  would 
hear  their  howls  of  disappointment.  Yes  :  we  may  be  sure 
of  it.  They  're  emptying  such  of  their  canoes  as  may  still 
be  above  water." 

"  Emptying  their  canoes  !  what  mean  you  by  that  ?  " 

Munday  then  explained  the  nature  of  his  late  expedition, 
now  that  its  failure  could  no  longer  be  charged  upon  himself. 
A  few  words  sufficed  to  make  the  whole  thing  understood, 
the  others  admiring  the  bold  ingenuity  of  the  plan  as  strongly 
as  they  regretted  having  given  cause  for  its  being  frustrated. 

Though  no  pursuers  had  as  yet  appeared,  that  was  no  rea- 
son why  they  should  stay  an  instant  longer  by  the  entrance 
to  the  arcade  ;  so,  once  more  handling  the  paddles,  they  put 
the  great  igarite'  to  its  best  speed. 


27S  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

CHAPTER    XCI. 

THE     ENEMY     IN     SIGHT.. 

nnHERE  was  no  debating  the  question  as  to  the  course 
I  they  should  take.  This  was  opposite  to  the  direction 
in  which  lay  the  malocca.  In  other  words,  they  struck  out 
for  the  open  water,  almost  in  the  same  track  hy  which  they 
had  come  from  the  other  side  while  navigating  the  tree-trunk. 

Trevannion  had  suggested  keeping  "  in  shore  "  and  under 
the  shadow  of  the  tree-tops. 

"  No  use,"  said  the  tapuyo  ;  "  in  ten  minutes  more  there 
will  be  light  over  the  water.  We  '11  be  seen  all  the  same, 
and  by  following  the  line  of  the  forest  we  should  give  our 
pursuers  the  advantage ;  they,  by  keeping  straight  across, 
would  easily  overtake  us.  The  trees  go  round  in  a  circle, 
don't  you  see  ?  " 

"  True,"  replied  Trevannion  ;  "  I  did  not  think  of  that. 
It  is  to  be  hoped  we  shall  not  have  pursuers." 

"  If  we  have  they  will  soon  come  up  with  us,  for  they  have 
more  paddles,  and  are  better  skilled  in  the  use  of  them ;  if 
they  come  after  us  at  all,  they  will  be  sure  to  overtake  us." 

"  Then  we  shall  be  captured,  —  perhaps  destroyed."  This 
was  spoken  in  a  whisper  in  the  ear  of  the  tapuyo. 

"  It  don't  follow,  —  one  or  the  other.  If  it  did,  I  should  n't 
have  much  hope  in  handling  this  bit  of  a  stick.  "We  may  be 
pursued,  overtaken,  and  still  get  off  in  the  end.  They  may 
not  like  close  quarters  any  more  than  we.  That,  you  see, 
depends  on  how  many  of  their  vessels  are  gone  to  the  bottom, 
and  how  many  are  still  afloat.  If  more  than  half  that  were 
scuttled  have  sunk,  we  may  dread  their  arrows  more  than 
their  oars.  If  more  than  half  are  above  water,  we  shall  be 
in  more  danger  from  their  speed." 

Notwithstanding  the  enigmatical  character  of  the  tapuyo's 


THE   ENEMY   IN  SIGHT.  279 

speeches,  Trevannion,  as  well  as  the  others,  was  able  to  un- 
derstand them.  He  simply  meant  that,  if  the  enemy  were 
left  without  a  sufficient  number  of  canoes  to  pursue  them  in 
large  force,  they  would  not  think  of  boarding,  but  would  keep 
at  a  distance,  using  their  arrows  in  the  attack. 

It  was  by  no  means  a  pleasant  prospect ;  still,  it  was  pleas- 
anter  than  the  thought  of  coming  to  close  quarters  with  a 
crowd  of  cannibal  savages,  and  being  either  hacked  to  pieces 
with  their  knives,  clubbed  to  death  with  their  macanas,  or 
dragged  overboard  and  drowned  in  the  lagoa. 

"  In  five  minutes  more,"  continued  the  tapuyo,  "  we  shall 
know  the  best  or  the  worst.  By  that  time  it  will  be  light 
enough  to  see  in  under  the  trees  yonder.  By  that  time,  if 
they  have  a  single  igarite  above  water,  she  '11  be  baled  out. 
By  that  time  they  should  be  after  us.  If  we  don't  see  them 
in  five  minutes,  we  need  never  look  for  them  again." 

A  minute  —  another  —  a  third  elapsed,  and  still  no  ap- 
pearance of  pursuers  or  pursuit.  Slower  still  seemed  the 
fourth,  though  it  too  passed,  and  no  movement  on  the  water. 
Every  heart  beat  with  hope  that  the  time  would  transpire 
without  any  change.  But,  alas  !  it  was  not  to  be  so.  The 
black  line  was  broken  by  the  bow  of  a  canoe,  and  in  an 
instant  after  the  craft  itself  was  seen  gliding  out  from  under 
the  shadow  of  the  trees.  The  tapuyo's  prediction  was  ful- 
filled. 

"  The  big  igarite ! "  he  exclaimed.  "  Just  what  I  had 
fears  of;  I  doubted  its  going  down  in  time.  Eight  in  it! 
Well,  that 's  nothing,  if  the  others  have  sunk." 

"But  stay  a  moment,"  returned  Richard;  "see  yonder! 
Another  coming  out,  farther  down  to  the  right ! " 

"That's  the  cockle-shell  we  took  from  the  harpooner. 
There  are  two  in  it,  which  is  all  it  will  hold.  Only  ten,  as 
yet.  Good !  if  that 's  their  whole  strength,  we  need  n't  fear 
their  coming  to  close  quarters.     Good  !  " 

"  I  can  make  out  no  more,"  said  the  young  Paraensc,  who 


280  AFLOAT   IN  THE  FOREST. 

had  suspended  paddling  to  get  a  better  view  of  the  pursuers. 
"  I  think  there  are  no  more." 

"Just  my  thoughts,"  rejoined  the  tapuyo.  "I  had  that 
idea  all  along.  I  was  sure  the  small  craft  had  gone  down. 
You  remember  we  heard  a  splashing  before  we  got  well  off, 
—  it  was  caused  by  the  sinking  of  the  igarites.  Our  hope  is 
that  only  the  big  one  has  kept  afloat.  As  yet  I  see  no 
others." 

"  Nor  I,"  added  Richard.     "  No,  there  are  but  the  two." 

"  Thank  Heaven  for  that  !  "  exclaimed  Trevannion. 
"  There  will  be  but  ten  against  us.  Though  we  are  not 
equal  in  numbers,  surely  we  should  be  a  match  for  such 
puny  savages  as  these.     O  that  we  only  had  arms  !  " 

As  he  said  this,  the  ex-miner  looked  into  the  bottom  of  the 
canoe  to  see  what  there  was  available  in  the  way  of  weapons. 
There  was  the  pashuba  spear,  which  Munday  had  pitched  in 
along  with  the  strips  of  charqui ;  and  there  was  another 
weapon  equally  effective  in  hands  skilled  in  its  use.  It  was 
a  sort  of  barbed  javelin  or  harpoon,  the  one  with  which  the 
manatee-hunter  had  struck  the  juaroua.  During  the  day, 
while  doing  nothing  else,  Munday  had  amused  himself  by 
completing  the  conquest  of  the  peixe-boi,  which  he  found,  by 
the  line  and  float,  had  got  entangled  among  the  tree-tops. 
Its  carcass  had  been  left  where  it  was  killed,  for  it  was  the 
weapon  only  which  he  coveted.  In  addition  to  these,  there 
were  the  paddles,  —  those  manufactured  from  the  shoulder- 
blades  of  the  cow-fish,' —  looking  like  weapons  that  it  would 
be  awkward  to  have  come  in  contact  with  one's  skull  in  a 
hostile  encounter.  Last,  and  not  least  to  be  depended  upon, 
there  was  the  tapuyo's  own  knife,  in  the  use  of  which  he  had 
already  given  proofs  of  his  skill.  In  a  hand-to-hand  contest 
with  ten  savages,  armed  as  these  might  be,  there  was  not  so 
much  to  be  dreaded. 

But  Munday  assured  them  that  there  would  be  no  danger 
of  a  close  fight.    There  were  no  more  canoes  in  sight.    Twenty 


THE   CHASE.  281 

minutes  had  now  elapsed  since  the  two  had  shot  out  from 
the  trees,  and  if  there  had  been  others  they  would  long 
since  have  declared  themselves.  Arrows  or  javelins  were  the 
only  weapons  they  would  have  to  dread ;  and  with  these 
they  would  most  certainly  be  assailed. 

"  They  '11  be  sure  to  overtake  us,"  said  he  ;  "  there  are  six 
of  them  at  the  paddles,  and  it 's  easy,  to  see  that  they  're  al- 
ready gaining  ground.  That 's  no  reason  why  we  should  wait 
till  they  come  up.  When  the  fight  takes  place,  the  farther 
we  're  away  from  their  village  the  better  for  us  ;  as  who  knows 
but  they  may  fish  up  some  of  their  swamped  canoes,  and  come 
at  us  with  a  reserve  force.  To  the  paddles,  then,  and  pull 
for  our  lives!" 


CHAPTER    XCII. 

THE    CHASE. 

ON  swept  the  igarite  containing  the  crew  of  our  adventur- 
ers ;  on  came .  its  kindred  craft,  manned  by  savage  men, 
with  the  little  canoe  close  following,  like  a  tender  in  the  wake 
of  a  huge  man-of-war.  They  were  not  long  in  doubt  as  to 
what  would  be  the  upshot  of  the  chase.  It  had  net  continued 
half  an  hour  before  it  became  clear,  to  pursuers  as  well  as 
pursued,  that  the  distance  between  the  two  large  igarites 
was  gradually  growing  less.  Gradually,  but  not  rapidly ; 
for  although  there  were  six  paddles  plying  along  the  sides 
of  the  pursuers  and  only  four  on  the  pursued,  the  rate  of 
speed  was  not  so  very  unequal. 

The  eight  full-grown  savages  —  no  doubt  the  picked  men 
of  their  tribe  —  were  more  than  a  fair  complement  for  their 
craft,  that  lay  with  gunwales  low  down  in  the  water.  In  size 
she  was  somewhat  less  than  that  which  carried  our  adventur- 


282  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

ers  ;  and  this,  along  with  the  heavier  freight,  was  against  her. 
For  all  this,  she  was  gaining  ground  sufficiently  fast  to  make 
the  lessening  of  the  distance  perceptible. 

The  pursued  kept  perfect  silence,  for  they  had  no  spirit  to 
be  noisy.  They  could  not  help  feeling  apprehensive.  They 
knew  that  the  moment  the  enemy  got  within  arrow's  reach  of 
them  they  would  be  in  danger  of  death.  Well  might  such  a 
thought  account  for  their  silence. 

Not  so  with  their  savage  pursuers.  These  could  be  in 
no  danger  unless  by  their  own  choice.  They  had  the  advan- 
tage, and  could  carry  on  war  with  perfect  security  to  them- 
selves. It  would  not  be  necessary  for  them  to  risk  an  en- 
counter empty-handed  so  long  as  their  arrows  lasted ;  and 
they  could  have  no  fear  of  entering  into  the  fight.  Daring 
where  there  was  no  danger,  and  noisy  where  there  was  no 
occasion,  they  pressed  on  in  the  pursuit,  their  wild  yells  sent 
pealing  across  the  water  to  strike  terror  into  the  hearts  of  the 
enemy. 

Our  adventurers  felt  no  craven  fear,  not  a  thought  of  sur- 
render, not  an  idea  of  submitting  to  be  taken  captives.  By 
the  most  solemn  asseverations  the  tapuyo  had  assured  them 
that  it  would  be  of  no  use,  and  they  need  expect  no  mercy 
from  the  Muras.  He  had  said  so  from  the  first ;  but  now, 
after  having  taken  one  of  their  number  captive  and  treated 
him  with  contempt,  after  scuttling  their  fleet  of  igarites,  their 
natural  instinct  of  cruelty  would  be  intensified  by  a  thirst  for 
revenge,  and  no  quarter  need  be  looked  for  by  any  one  who 
might  fall  into  their  hands. 

Remembering  the  hideous  creature  who  had  escaped,  see- 
ing him  again  in  his  canoe  as  the  pursuers  came  within  dis- 
tinguishing distance,  seeing  nine  of  his  comrades  quite  as 
hideous  as  himself,  and  some  of  them  in  appearance  far  more 
formidable,  the  statement  of  the  tapuyo  did  not  fail  to  have 
an  effect. 

The  crew  of  the  chased  igarite  gave  up  all  thought  of  sur- 


THE   CHASE.  283 

render,  each  declaring  his  determination  to  fight  to  the  death. 
Such  was  their  mood  when  the  savages  arrived  within  bow- 
shot. 

The  first  act  of  hostility  was  a  flight  of  arrows,  which  fell 
short  of  the  mark.  Seeing  that  the  distance  was  too  great 
for  them  to  do  any  havoc,  the  six  who  had  been  propelling 
the  igarite  dropped  their  bows,  and  once  more  took  to  the 
paddles. 

The  other  two,  however,  with  the  spare  man  in  the  little 
canoe,  were  free  to  carry  on  their  arrowy  assault ;  and  all 
three  continued  to  twang  their  bows,  sending  shaft  after  shaft 
towards  the  chased  igarite.  Only  one  of  the  three  appeared 
to  have  much  skill  in  his  aim  or  strength  in  his  arm.  The 
arrows  of  the  other  two  either  fell  short  or  wide  of  the  object 
aimed  at,  while  his  came  plump  into  the  igarite. 

He  had  already  sent  three,  —  the  first  passing  through  the 
broad-spread  ear  of  the  negro,  —  no  mean  mark  ;  the  second 
scratching  up  the  skin  upon  Tom's  cheek  ;  while  the  third, 
fired  aloft  into  the  air,  dropped  down  upon  the  skin  of  the 
peixe-boi  that  sheltered  little  Rosa  in  the  bottom  of  the  boat, 
penetrating  the  thick,  tough  hide,  and  almost  impaling  the 
pretty  creature  underneath  it. 

This  dangerous  marksman  was  identified.  He  was  the 
hero  of  the  harpoon,  —  the  captive  who  had  given  them  the 
slip ;  and  certain  it  is  that  he  took  more  pains  with  his  aim, 
and  put  more  strength  into  his  pull,  than  any  of  his  competi- 
tors. 

His  fourth  arrow  was  looked  for  with  fearful  apprehension. 
It  came  whistling  across  the  water.  It  passed  through  the 
arm  of  his  greatest  enemy, —  the  man  he  most  desired  it  to 
pierce,  —  the  Mundurucii. 

The  tapuyo  started  up  from  his  stooping  attitude,  at  the 
same  time  dropping  his  paddle,  not  upon  the  water,  but  into 
the  igarite.  The  arrow  was  only  through  the  flesh.  It  did 
nothing  to  disable  him,  and  he  had  surrendered  the  oar  with 


284  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

an  exclamaiion  of  anger  more  than  pain.  The  shaft  was  still 
sticking  in  his  left  arm.  With  the  right  he  pulled  it  out, 
drawing  the  feather  through  the  wound,  and  then  flung  it 
away. 

In  another  instant  he  had  taken  up  the  harpoon,  with  the 
long  cord  still  attached  to  it,  and  which  he  had  already  se- 
cured to  the  stern  of  the  igarite\  In  still  another  he  was  seen 
standing  near  the  stern,  balancing  the  weapon  for  a  throw. 
One  more  instant  and  the  barbed  javelin  was  heard  passing 
with  a  crash  through  the  ribs  of  the  savage  archer !  "  Pull 
on  !  pull  on  !  "  cried  he  ;  and  the  three  paddlers  responded  to 
the  cry,  while  the  pusuing  savages,  astounded  by  what  they 
had  seen,  involuntarily  suspended  their  stroke,  and  the  har- 
pooner,  impaled  upon  the  barbed  weapon,  was  jerked  into  the 
water  and  towed  off  after  the  igarite,  like  one  of  his  own  floats 
in  the  wake  of  a  cow-fish. 

A  wild  cry  was  sent  forth  from  the  canoe  of  the  savages. 
Nor  was  it  unanswered  from  the  igarite  containing  the  crew 
of  civilized  men.  The  negro  could  not  restrain  his  exulta- 
tion ;  while  Tom,  who  had  nothing  else  to  do,  sprang  to  his 
feet,  tossed  his  arms  into  the  air,  and  gave  tongue  to  the  true 
Donnybrook  Challenge. 

For  a  time  the  pursuers  did  nothing.  Their  paddles  were 
in  hands  that  appeared  suddenly  paralyzed.  Astonishment 
held  them  stiff  as  statues. 

Stirred  at  length  by  the  instinct  of  revenge,  they  were 
about  to  pull  on.  Some  had  plunged  their  oar-blades  into 
the  water,  when  once  more  the  stroke  was  suspended. 

They  perceived  that  they  were  near  enough  to  the  retreat- 
ing foe.  Nearer,  and  their  lives  would  be  in  danger.  The 
dead  body  of  their  comrade  had  been  hauled  up  to  the  stern 
of  the  great  igarite.  The  harpoon  had  been  recovered,  and 
was  once  more  in  the  hands  of  him  who  had  hurled  it  with 
such  fatal  effect. 

Dropping  their  bladed  sticks,  they  again  betook  them  to 


THE  CHASE.  285 

their  bows.  A  shower  of  arrows  came  around  the  igarite, 
but  none  fell  with  fatal  effect.  The  body  of  their  best  archer 
had  gone  to  the  bottom  of  the  Gapo.  Another  flight  fell 
short,  and  the  savage  bowmen  saw  the  necessity  of  returning 
to  their  paddles. 

Failing  to  do  so,  they  would  soon  be  distanced  in  the  chase. 
This  time  they  rowed  nearer,  disregarding  the  dangerous 
range  of  that  ponderous  projectile  to  which  their  comrade 
had  succumbed.  Rage  and  revenge  now  rendered  them  reck- 
less ;  and  once  more  they  seized  upon  their  weapons. 

They  were  now  less  than  twenty  yards  from  the  igarite\ 
They  were  already  adjusting  the  arrows  to  their  bow-strings. 
A  flight  of  nine  going  all  together  could  not  fail  to  bring 
down  one  or  more  of  the  enemy. 

For  the  first  time  our  adventurers  were  filled  with  fear. 
The  bravest  could  not  have  been  otherwise.  They  had  no 
defence,  —  nothing  to  shield  them  from  the  threatening  show- 
er. All  might  be  pierced  by  the  barbed  shafts,  already 
pointing  towards  the  igarite.  Each  believed  that  in  another 
moment  there  might  be  an  arrow  through  his  heart. 

It  was  a  moment  of  terrible  suspense,  but  our  adventurers 
saw  the  savages  suddenly  drop  their  bows,  some  after  send- 
ing a  careless  shot,  with  a  vacillating,  pusillanimous  aim,  and 
others  without  shooting  at  all.  They  saw  them  all  looking 
down  into  the  bottom  of  their  boat,  as  if  there,  and  not  else- 
where, was  to  be  seen  their  most  dangei'ous  enemy. 

The  hole  cut  by  the  knife  had  opened.  The  calking,  care- 
less from  the  haste  in  which  it  had  been  done,  had  come  away. 
The  canoe  containing  the  pursuers  was  swamped,  in  less 
than  a  score  of  seconds  after  the  leak  had  been  discovered. 
Now  there  was  but  one;  large  canoe  upon  the  lagoa,  and  one 
small  one,  —  the  latter  surrounded  by  eight  dark  human 
heads,  each  spurting  and  blowing,  as  if  a  small  school  of 
porpoises  was  at  play  upon  the  spot. 

Our  adventurers    had  nothing  further  to  fear  from  pur- 


28G  AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST. 

suit  by  the  savage?,  who  would  have  enough  to  do  to  save 
their  own  lives ;  for  the  swim  that  was  before  them,  ere  they 
could  recover  footing  upon  the  scaffolds  of  ihe  maloeca, 
would  tax  their  powers  to  the  utmost  extent. 

How  the  castaways  meant  to  dispose  of  themselves  was 
known  to  the  crew  of  the  igarite  before  the  latter  had  been 
paddled  out  of  sight.  One  or  two  of  them  were  observed 
clinging  to  the  little  canoe,  and  at  length  getting  into  it. 
These,  weak  swimmers,  no  doubt,  were  left  in  possession  of 
the  craft,  while  the  others,  knowing  that  it  could  not  carry 
them  all,  were  seen  to  turn  round  and  swim  off  towards  the 
maloeca,  like  rats  escaping  from  a  scuttled  ship. 

In  twenty  minutes'  time,  both  they  and  the  fishing-canoe 
were  out  of  sight,  and  the  great  igarite  that  carried  Trevan- 
nion  and  his  fortunes  was  alone  upon  the  lagoa. 


CHAPTER  XCIII. 

CONCLUSION. 

A  VOLUME  might  be  filled  with  the  various' incidents 
and  adventures  that  befell  the  ex-miner  and  his  people 
before  they  arrived  at  Gran  Para, — for  at  Gran  Para  did  they 
at  length  arrive.  But  as  these  bore  a  certain  resemblance  to 
those  already  detailed,  the  reader  is  spared  the  relation  of 
them.     A  word  only  as  to  how  they  got  out  of  the  Gapo. 

Provided  with  the  Indian  igarite,  which,  though  a  rude 
kind  of  craft,  was  a  great  improvement  upon  the  dead-wood, 
—  provided  also  with  four  tolerable  paddles,  and  the  skin  of 
the  cow-fish  for  a  sail,  —  they  felt  secure  of  being  able  to 
navigate  the  flooded  forest  in  any  direction  where  open 
water  mi^ht  be  found. 


CONCLUSION.  287 

Their  first  thought  was  to  get  out  of  the  lagoa.  So  long 
as  they  remained  within  the  boundaries  of  that  piece  of  open 
water,  so  long  would  their  solicitude  be  keen  and  continuous. 
The  savages  might  again  come  in  search  of  them.  Prompted 
by  their  cannibal  instincts,  or  by  revenge  for  the  loss  of  one 
of  their  tribe,  they  would  be  almost  certain  to  do  so.  The  to- 
tal destruction  of  their  fleet  might  cause  delay.  But  then 
there  might  be  another  malocca  belonging  to  a  kindred  tribe, 
—  another  fleet  of  igarites  not  far  off;  and  this  might  be 
made  available. 

With  these  probabilities  in  view,  our  adventurers  gave 
their  whole  attention  to  getting  clear  of  the  lagoa.  Was  it 
land-locked,  or  rather  "  tree-locked,"  —  hemmed  in  on  all 
sides  by  the  flooded  forest  ?  This  was  a  question  that  no 
one  could  answer,  though  it  was  the  one  that  was  of  first 
and  greatest  importance. 

After  the  termination  of  the  chase,  however,  or  as  soon 
as  they  believed  themselves  out  of  sight,  not  only  of  their 
foiled  foemen,  but  their  friends  at  the  malocca,  they  changed 
their  course,  steering  the  igarite  almost  at  right  angles  to 
the  line  of  pursuit. 

By  guidance  of  the  hand  of  God,  they  steered  in  the 
right  direction.  As  soon  as  they  came  within  sight  of  the 
trees,  they  perceived  a  wide  water-way  opening  out  of  the 
lagoa,  and  running  with  a  clear  line  to  the  horizon  beyond. 
Through  this  they  directed  the  igaraite,  and,  favored  by  a 
breeze  blowing  right  upon  their  stern,  they  rigged  up  their 
rude  sail.  With  this  to  assist  their  paddling,  they  made  good 
speed,  and  had  soon  left  the  lagoa  many  miles  behind  them. 

They  saw  no  more  of  the  Muras.  But  though  safe,  as 
they  supposed  themselves,  from  pursuit,  and  no  longer  un- 
easy about  the  ape-like  Indians,  they  were  still  very  far 
from  being  delivered.  They  were  yet  in  the  Gapo,  —  that 
wilderness  of  water-forests,  —  yet  exposed  to  its  thousands 
of  dangers. 


288  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

They  found  themselves  in  a  labyrinth  of  what  appeared  to 
be  lakes,  with  land  around  them,  and  islands  scattered  over 
their  surface,  communicating  with  each  other  by  canals  or 
straits,  all  bordered  with  a  heavy  forest.  But  they  knew 
there  was  no  land,  —  nothing  but  tree-tops  laced  together 
with  llianas,  and  supporting  heavy  masses  of  parasitical 
plants. 

For  days  they  wandered  through  its  wild  solitudes,  here 
crossing  a  stretch  of  open  water,  there  exploring  some  wide 
canal  or  narrow  igarape,  perhaps  to  find  it  terminating  in  a 
cul-de-sac,  or  bolson,  as  the  Spaniards  term  it,  hemmed  in 
on  all  sides  by  an  impenetrable  thicket  of  tree-tops,  when 
there  was  no  alternative  but  to  paddle  back  again.  Some- 
times these  false  thoroughfares  would  lure  them  on  for  miles, 
and  several  hours  —  on  one  occasion  a  whole  day  —  would 
be  spent  in  fruitless  navigation. 

It  was  a  true  wilderness  through  which  they  were  wan- 
dering, but  fortunately  for  them  it  had  a  character  different 
from  that  of  a  desert.  So  far  from  this,  it  more  resembled 
a  grand  garden,  or  orchard,  laid  for  a  time   under  inundation. 

Many  kinds  of  fruits  were  met  with,  —  strange  kinds  that 
had  never  been  seen  by  them  before ;  and  upon  some  of 
these  they  subsisted.  The  Mundurucii  alone  knew  them,  — 
could  tell  which  were  to  be  eaten  and  which  avoided.  Birds, 
too,  came  in  their  way,  all  eaten  by  the  Indians,  as  also  va- 
rious species  of  arboreal  quadrupeds  and  quadrumana.  The 
killing  and  capturing  of  these,  with  the  gathering  of  nuts 
and  fruits  to  supply  their  simple  larder,  afforded  them  fre- 
quent opportunities  of  amusement,  that  did  much  to  beguile 
the  tediousness  of  then'  trackless  straying.  Otherwise  it 
would  have  been  insupportable ;  otherwise  they  would  have 
starved. 

None  of  them  afterwards  was  ever  able  to  tell  how  long 
this  Gypsy  life  continued,  —  how  long  they  were  afloat  in 
the  forest.     Engrossed  with   the  thought  of  getting  out  of 


CONCLUSION.  289 

it,  they  took  no  note  of  time,  nor  made  registry  of  the  num- 
ber of  suns  that  rose  and  set  upon  their  tortuous  wanderings. 
There  were  days  in  which  they  saw  not  the  sun,  hidden  from 
their  sight  by  the  umbrageous  canopy  of  gigantic  trees, 
amidst  the  trunks  of  which,  and  under  their  deep  shadows, 
they  rowed  the  igarite. 

But  if  not  known  how  long  they  roamed  through  this  wil- 
derness, much  less  can  it  be  told  how  long  they  might  have 
remained  within  its  mazes,  but  for  a  heaven-sent  vision  that 
one  morning  broke  upon  their  eyes  as  their  canoe  shot  out 
into  a  stretch  of  open  water. 

They  saw  a  ship,  —  a  ship  sailing  through  the  forest ! 

True,  it  was  not  a  grand  ship  of  the  ocean,  —  a  seventy- 
four,  a  frigate,  or  a  trader  of  a  thousand  tons  ;  nevertheless  it 
was  a  ship,  in  the  general  acceptation  of  the  term,  with  hull, 
masts,  spars,  sails,  and  rigging.  It  was  a  two-masted  schoon- 
er, a  trader  of  the  Solimoes. 

The  old  tapuyo  knew  it  at  a  glance,  and  hailed  it  with  a 
cheer.  He  knew  the  character  of  the  craft.  In  such  he 
had  spent  some  of  the  best  years  of  his  life,  himself  one 
of  the  crew.  Its  presence  was  proof  that  they  were  once 
more  upon  their  way,  as  the  schooner  was  upon  hers. 

"  Going  down,"  said  the  tapuyo,  "  going  down  to  Gran 
Para.  I  can  tell  by  the  way  she  is  laden.  Look  yonder. 
Sarsaparilla,  Vanilla,  Cascarilla,  Maulega  de  Tortugos, 
Sapucoy,  and  Tonka  beans,  —  all  will  be  found  under  that 
toldo  of  palm-leaves.     Galliota  ahoy  !  ahoy  ! " 

The  schooner  was  within  short  hailing  distance. 

"Lay  to,  and  take  passengers  aboard!  We  want  to  go 
to  Para.     Our  craft  is  n't  suited  for  such  a  long  voyage." 

The  galliota  answered  the  hail,  and  in  ten  minutes  after 
the  crew  of  the  igarite  was  transferred  to  her  decks.  The 
canoe  was  abandoned,  while  the  schooner  continued  on  to  the 
city  of  Gran  Para.  She  was  not  in  the  Solimoes  itself,  but 
one  of  its  parallel  branches,  though,  in  two  days  after  having 

13  8 


290  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

taken  the  castaways  aboard,  she  sailed  out  into  the  main 
stream,  and  thence  glided  merrily  downward. 

Those  aboard  of  her  were  not  the  less  gay,  —  the  crew  on 
discovering  that  among  the  passengers  that  they  had  picked 
up  were  the  son  and  brother  of  their  patron  ;  and  the  passen- 
gers, that  the  craft  that  was  carrying  them  to  Gran  Pard,  as 
well  as  her  cargo,  was  the  property  of  Trevannion.  The 
young  Paraense  found  himself  on  board  one  of  his  father's 
traders,  while  the  ex-miner  was  completing  his  Amazonian 
voyage  in  a  "  bottom  "  belonging  to  his  brother. 

The  tender  attention  which  they  received  from  the  capqtoz 
of  the  galliota  restored  their  health  and  spirits,  both  sadly 
shattered  in  the  Gapo  ;  and  instead  of  the  robber's  garb  and 
savage  mien  with  which  they  emerged  from  that  sombre 
abode,  fit  only  for  the  abiding-place  of  beasts,  birds,  and  rep- 
tiles, they  soon  recovered  the  cheerful  looks  and  decent 
habiliments  that  befitted  them  for  a  return  to  civilization. 

A  few  words  will  tell  the  rest  of  this  story. 

The  brothers,  once  more  united,  —  each  the  owner  of  a  son 
and  daughter,  —  returned  to  their  native  land.  Both  wid- 
owers, they  agreed  to  share  the  same  roof,  — that  under 
which  they  had  been  born.  The  legal  usurper  could  no 
longer  keep  them  out  of  it.     He  was  dead. 

He  had  left  behind  him  an  only  son,  not  a  gentleman  like 
himself,  but  a  spendthrift.  It  ended  in  the  ill-gotten  patri- 
mony coming  once  more  into  the  market  and  under  the  ham- 
mer, the  two  Trevannions  arriving  just  in  time  to  arrest  its 
descent  upon  the  desk,  and  turn  the  "going,  going"  into 
"  gone  "  in  their  own  favor. 

Though  the  estate  became  afterwards  divided  into  two 
equal  portions,  —  as  nearly  equal  as  the  valuer  could  allot 
them,  —  and- under  separate  owners,  still  was  there  no  change 
in  the  name  of  the  property  ;  still  was  it  the  Trevannion 
estate.     The  owner  of  each  moiety  was  a  Trevannion,  and 


CONCLUSION.  291 

the  wife  of  each  owner  was  a  Trevannion,  without  ever  hav- 
ing changed  her  name.  There  is  no  puzzle  in  this.  The 
young  Paraense  had  a  sister, — spoken  of,  but  much  neg- 
lected, in  this  eventful  narrative,  where  not  even  her  name 
has  been  made  known.  Only  has  it  been  stated  that  she  was 
one  of  "several  sweet  children." 

Be  it  now  known  that  she  grew  up  to  be  a  beautiful  wo- 
man, fair-haired,  like  her  mother,  and  that  her  name  was 
Florence.  Much  as  her  brother  Richard,  also  fair-haired, 
came  to  love  her  dark  semi-Spanish  cousin  Rosita,  so  did  her 
other  dark  semi-Spanish  cousin,  Ralph,  come  to  love  her; 
and  as  both  she  and  Rosita  reciprocated  these  cousinly  loves, 
it  ended  in  a  mutual  bestowing  of  sisters,  or  a  sort  of  cross- 
hands  and  change-partners  game  of  cousins,  —  whichever 
way  you  like  to  have  it. 

At  all  events,  the  Trevannion  estates  remained,  and  still 
remain,  in  the  keeping  of  Trevannions. 

"Were  you  to  take  a  trip  to  the  "  Land's  End,"  and  visit 
them,  —  supposing  yourself  to  be  indorsed  with  an  introduc- 
tion from  me,  —  you  would  find  in  the  house  of  young  Ralph, 
firstly,  his  father,  old  Ralph,  gracefully  enacting  the  role  of 
grandfather ;  secondly,  the  fair  Florence,  surrounded  by  sev- 
eral olive-shoots  of  the  Trevannion  stock  ;  and,  lastly,  —  nay, 
it  is  most  likely  you  will  meet  him  first,  for  he  will  take  your 
hat  from  you  in  the  hall,  —  an  individual  with  a  crop  of  car- 
roty hair,  fast  changing  to  the  color  of  turnips.  You  will 
know  him  as  Tipperary  Tom.     "  Truth  will  yez." 

Cross  half  a  dozen  fields,  climb  over  a  stile,  under  the 
shadow  of  gigantic  trees,  —  oaks  and  elms  ;  pass  along  a 
plank  foot-bridge  spanning  a  crystal  stream  full  of  carp  and 
trout ;  go  through  a  wicket-gate  into  a  splendid  park,  and 
then  follow  a  gravelled  walk  that  leads  up  to  the  walls  of 
a  mansion.  You  can  only  do  this  coming  from  the  other 
house,  for  the  path  thus  indicated  is  not  a  "  right  of  way." 

Enter  the  dwelling  to  which  it  has  guided  you.     Inside 


292  AFLOAT  IN  THE  FOREST. 

you  will  encounter,  first,  a  well-dressed  darkey,  who  bids 
you  welcome  with  all  the  airs  of  an  M.  C.  This  respectable 
Ethiopian,  venerable  in  look  —  partly  on  account  of  his  age, 
partly  from  the  blanching  of  his  black  hair  —  is  an  old  ac- 
quaintance, by  name  Mozey. 

He  summons  his  master  to  your  side.  You  cannot  mis- 
take that  handsome  gentleman,  though  he  is  years  older  than 
when  you  last  saw  him.  The  same  open  countenance,  the 
same  well-knit,  vigorous  frame,  which,  even  as  a  boy,  were 
the  characteristics  of  the  young  Paraense. 

No  more  can  you  have  forgotten  that  elegant  lady  who 
stands  by  his  side,  and  who,  following  the  fashion  of  her 
Spanish-American  race,  frankly  and  without  affectation  comes 
forth  to  greet  you.  No  longer  the  little  Rosa,  the  protegee 
of  Richard,  but  now  his  wife,  with  other  little  Rosas  and 
Richards,  promising  soon  to  be  as  big  as  herself,  and  as 
handsome  as  her  husband. 

The  tableau  is  almost  complete  as  a  still  older  Richard 
appears  in  the  background,  regarding  with  a  satisfied  air 
his  children  and  grandchildren,  while  saluting  their  guest 
with  a  graceful  gesture  of  welcome. 

Almost  complete,  but  not  quite.  A  figure  is  absent  from 
the  canvas,  hitherto  prominent  in  the  picture.  Why  is  it 
not  still  seen  in  the  foreground?  Has  death  claimed  the 
tapuyo  for  his  own  ? 

Not  a  bit  of  it.  Still  vigorous,  still  life-like  as  ever,  he 
may  be  seen  any  day  upon  the  Amazon,  upon  the  deck  of  a 
galliota,  no  longer  in  the  humble  capacity  of  a  tapuyo,  but 
acting  as  capatoz,  —  as  patron. 

His  old  patron  had  not  been  ungrateful ;  and  the  gift  of 
a  schooner  was  the  reward  bestowed  upon  the  guide  who 
had  so  gallantly  conducted  our  adventurers  through  the  dan- 
gers of  the  Gapo,  and  shared  their  perils  while  they  were 

"AFLOAT   IN   THE   FOREST." 

THE    END. 


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Tichnor  and  Fields.  23 


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Mrs.  Jameson's  Diary.     $  1.50. 

Mrs.  Jameson's  Sketches  of  Art.     $1.50. 

Mrs.  Jameson's  Legends  of  the  Madonna.     $1.50. 

Mrs.  Jameson's  Italian  Painters.     $  1.50. 

Mrs.  Jameson's  Studies  and  Stories.     $  1.50. 

Mrs.  Jameson's  Sacred  and  Legendary  Art.     2  vols.     $3.00. 

Mrs.  Jameson's  Legends  of  the  Monastic  Orders.     $  1.50. 

Saxe's  Poems.     $1.50. 

dough's  Poems.     $  1.50. 

Holmes's  Poems.     $1.50. 

Adelaide  Procter's  Poems.     $  1.50. 

Taylor's  Philip  Van  Artevelde.     $1.50. 

Hawthorne's  Ttoice -Told  Tales.     2  vols.     $3.00. 

Bayard  Taylor's  Poems.     $1.50. 

Tennyson's  Enoch  Arden,  Sfc.     $  1.50. 

Holmes's  Autocrat.     $  1.50. 

Emerson's  Poems.     $  1.50. 

Emerson's  Essays.     $  1 .50. 

A  Idrich's  Poems.     $1.50. 

Miss  Mulock's  Poems.     $  1.50. 

Mrs.  Akers's  Poems  {Florence  Percy).     $1.50. 

Thomas  K.  Hervey's  Poems.     1  vol.     $  1.50. 


24  List  of  Boohs. 


line  <£nglts(j  Cabinet  iMiwns. 

Shakespeare's  Plays.     6  vols.     $15.00. 
Burns's  Poems.     2  vols.     $  4.50. 
Milton's  Poetical  Works.     2  vols.     $4.50. 
Coleridge's  Poems.     1  vol.     $  2.25. 
Walton's  Angler.     1vol.     $2.25. 
Walton's  Lives.     1  vol.     $  2.25. 


Jine  Cnglisfr  §lue  aito  $flfo  CMiions. 

Burns's  Poems.     2  vols.     $  3.50. 
Coleridge's  Poems.     1vol.     $1.75. 
Herbert's  Poems  and  Remains.     $  1.75. 
Sea  Songs  and  Ballads.     1vol.     $1.75. 
Milton's  Poems.     2  vols.     $3.50. 
.Ro&in  7/ood's  Ballads.     1  vol.     $  1.75. 
Southey's  Life  of  Nelson.     1vol.     $1.75. 
i/a#'s  Lieutenant.     1  vol.     $  1.75. 
Hall's  Midshipman.     1vol.     $1.75. 
Vicar  of  Wakef  eld.     1vol.     $1.75. 
White's  History  of  Selborne.     $  1.75. 
Tales  f-om  Shakespeare.     1vol.     $1.75. 
P/ays  o/"  Shakespeare.     6  vols.     $  10.00. 
Walton's  Angler.     $1.75. 
JFaZfon's  Zires.     $1.75. 


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